The Art Of Seduction
by tiramisuspice
Summary: It was a simple bet. All she had to do was seduce Lucas Friar in a month. But then, nothing really is ever so simple, is it? Lucaya AU
1. The Bet

**Felt like writing Lucas Badasshole Friar. I kind of love that persona of him. This is a pretty different genre than anything I've ever written before, but I wanted to try my hand at something like this.  
**

 **A/N: A couple things to expect: this is an AU. :3 A couple character circumstances and ages have been altered to fit the story, so don't be alarmed if there are some things that don't make sense. Everything will be revealed in due time :) (Two characters in here come from other shows ;P If you can guess what shows they are from, you get a cookie!)  
**

 **Inspired by lucaya's "archer city, texas"! It's a really intriguing story :)**

 **Rated M for Maya... Because let's face it. Maya's a badass.  
**

 **WARNING: this story _will_ be dirty and crude and perverted so expect lots of vulgarity. And it'll be loaded with every cliché in the book! :D**

 **Enjoy!**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own GMW or the characters, but shit... if I did... You guys better run... ヽ(￣д￣;)ノ=3=3=3**

 **UPDATE O8.13.15** **: Credit for the title of the story goes to quorra laraex! Thank you for letting me use this!**

* * *

 **To:** "Honey"

 **From:** "Peaches"

 **Subject:** Re: how's texas peaches? (not how are the peaches in tx, but how is texas, peaches)

hey riley.

your subject is so you.

anyway, still missing life back in the Big Apple… i don't know what it is about this school, but there are a bunch of idiots here. haven't found anything or anyone interesting enough to associate with. *sigh* wish you were here.

i know you said i should reach out to people and try to make the best of this experience, but seriously? it's senior year. did my mom really think i would like it here on my last year? what the fuck is up with that?

anyway, sorry. i just want this school year to roll on by so I can get my damn diploma and come back to you for college. it's just ten months of school. if i keep chanting that, it'll make this year go by a hell of a lot faster.

hey, i sent you a present in the mail :) it was something i saw in a store here and just had to give it to you because it reminded me of you. i sent farkle one too. let me know when you get it.

as for _him_ … honestly, no. i am not holding up well after the breakup. i'm still trying to figure out why he ended things, but i can't. he's your older brother riley. if there's anything you can find out, let me know. (as in, if he was two timing me with some girl at NYU you should let me know so i can come back and trash his dorm room).

but it still hurts.

and it hurts even more that you're not here with me to help me get over it. any chance you can come visit me this week so school isn't so terrible?

tell farks and the others i miss them and that i'll be back to visit you all in the winter.

love you always my honey,

peaches

 _(sent 7:38am 10/09)_

* * *

Maya slammed her locker shut, letting out an annoyed sigh under her breath as students bustled by and brushed past her on their way to lunch. She glanced up at the clock nearby in annoyance.

Still three hours left of the school day.

Time was passing way too slowly.

It had already been one whole week since Maya had been subjected to attend this hell of a school and even after a week of being here, she still didn't like it. In fact, she hated it (although that had more to do with the fact that Riley wasn't here with her. Maya hated all schools by nature).

On her first day, she'd had a run in with the principal for wearing jeans with too many inappropriately placed holes in them (there had been one tear, one damn tear, near her crotch)."We're off to a bad start, Miss Hart' he'd said. She wanted to crawl in a hole and die.

She didn't want to be here.

But there was nothing she could do about it. Her mother was adamant that they start a new life in a new city, hoping they would find some happiness after the past rough years. And when the settlement from the divorce had finally been finalized and they'd gotten compensated pretty damn well, that was that. They'd packed up their bags and moved to Austin lickety split.

Maya was all for change and moving and maybe she might have handled this particular change more eloquently if it had been _after_ high school. But it was her damn senior year; why did her mom have to make her leave now of all times? And on top of that, they had moved after a month had already passed of the semester. Her chances of finding and/or making any friends had already been squashed before they even arose.

Dragging her feet, Maya walked into the cafeteria, a loud, obnoxious mess of juvenile delinquents gossiping and chatting and making out at tables.

Disgusting.

She got in the line and got her lunch as everyone else did while trying to figure out where to eat now that they had removed the benches from the front of the school. She could try the bathroom, but even she didn't consider herself that desperate enough to sit on the toilet and eat lunch while someone shat out Monday's Mystery Meat in the stall beside her. Oh the horror…

She supposed she could sit by herself in one of the lesser occupied tables. Maybe if she kept her head down and blasted her music in her ears, no one would come to bug her or inquire about the blonde girl eating lunch by herself.

Maya looked around, trying to see if she could find a table that didn't look too bad. There were the obvious no's. The table with glamorous girls, done up in perfect makeup and looking like beauty pageant queens. A table with kids studying, glasses on their noses and calculators in their hands. A hazy table with students _obviously_ smoking weed (did anyone even monitor lunch?!) The prospects were starting to look surprisingly bleak.

And then someone walked right up next to her with her own tray, smiling at Maya widely and excitedly, like she had just discovered gold.

"Blonde, short, and scowling. We need someone like you in our group."

Maya frowned, staring at the brunette in front of her with the shrewd, sparkling brown eyes and the pressed pink cardigan and kitten heels. She'd seen her around before. She seemed pretty chill for the most part. Popular with certain people, but not friends with everyone. Maya was pretty sure they were in the same history lecture.

"I'm sorry. Who are you?" Maya rose a brow.

"Missy Bradford. Journalism is my name, getting dirt and information is my game. I know everything about the school and everything about anyone. Come to me if you need any information… for a price." She jerked her head in the direction of a table nearby that was not too close to the middle (aka lame tables), but not too close to the walls (aka cool tables). There were two other girls seated there, chatting about something. By deductive reasoning, Maya figured the table was the normies. "Come sit with us new girl."

Missy didn't look particularly bitchy, if not a little too bright eyed than Maya was used to (with the exception of Riley), so Maya shrugged and followed her to the table. She vaguely wondered if this was one of those stupid girl meets popular girl situations and then finds out the popular girl is a bitch of epic proportions.

"Guys, you all have seen the new girl. Moved here last week."

Maya sat down slowly to a noncommittal grunt from a blonde and an enthusiastic wave from a brunette with curly hair.

"I love your paint splattered jeans. They're super retro. Are you an artist? I'm an artist too. Well, I'm not really an artist myself so much as an artiste, but I act." Brunette said with a smile. "I'm Camille by the way."

The other blonde girl at the table was picking her nails in boredom, looking like she'd rather be anywhere but there.

"Maya." Maya said. "Thanks. And yeah, I'm an artist."

"Are you from New York?" Missy asked, taking a dainty bite of her sandwich.

Maya rose a brow. "How'd you know?"

"You've got something of an accent. And I used to live in Manhattan when I was younger."

"That's cool, I guess." So she and Missy had something in common then.

"I knew we were kindred spirits the moment I saw you." Missy said enthusiastically, "We're soul sisters, you and I."

Maya frowned, but said nothing, eating her lunch quietly. Missy was a little strange. She kind of reminded her of Riley a bit.

"Missy," the other blonde girl finally said, looking up from her nails with pursed lips, "If you're going to invite someone over to our table, can you at least have the decency to ask us first in case we don't want them here?"

Maya looked up at the pinch faced girl.

"Wow, bitch much?"

She shrugged with one shoulder, like she honestly couldn't care less.

"Maya, don't worry about her." Missy said. "That's Lexi. She is _the_ bitch. But she's really sweet once you get to know her."

She didn't seem sweet to Maya at all. In fact, she reminded her of one of those popular girls who thought they were all that and acted like they owned the school when nobody liked them. But it was interesting how she was sitting at this table (which seemed alright) as opposed to the table with the glamour girls who Lexi seemed like she would fit right in with.

Camille and Missy settled into some argument about some test or another in another class, and Maya went back to eating her lunch. So maybe this wasn't too bad. She thought she would never be able to meet people. Or at the very least, she hadn't made any enemies in this school. And Missy seemed pretty cool. Maybe a little jumpy (like some kind of damn squirrel) but she'd lived in New York City before, so that was already something they had in common. Maya smiled. Riley would be proud of her for trying to befriend people instead of scaring them away with her scowl.

And then a table of girls started squealing like nobody's business and guys were cheering and clapping, and Maya looked up from her lumpy, soggy mashed potatoes with a wince at the commotion. Camille looked excited, Lexi looked peeved, and Missy was rolling her eyes to the sky.

"What the hell?" Maya said, contemplating blocking her ears. "Why are they making so much noise?"

"Lucas is back."

Maya frowned, not understanding.

"Lucas Friar?" Missy said with a raised brow. "One part delinquent asshole, one part diligent school boy, two parts playboy, and all parts attractive motherfucker?"

"I don't know who the hell that is." Maya said, giving Missy a blank look at her ridiculous description of the guy. That didn't tell her shit.

Camille's eyes widened, "You've been here for a week, and you haven't heard of Lucas?"

"No."

Camille gasped dramatically, her hand coming to her mouth in shock.

"You've never heard of asshole, but unbelievably hot Lucas? King of the school? The most gorgeous guy you will ever lay eyes on?!"

"Okay calling bullshit…" Maya responded, rolling her eyes, "You're exaggerating."

Missy shook her head, "No. She's actually not. He's _that_ guy that every guy wants to be and _that_ guy that every girl wants to fuck, yada yada yada. I could go on, but you get the gist of it."

"I take it none of you girls are interested?"

"Oh no. Of course I want to fuck him. Have you seen his eyes? I'm not immune." Missy snorted, waving it off. "But I have my sights set on someone else right now so."

Maya rolled her eyes again. So he was the type of guy that girls would use to get themselves off. And the perfect guy in the eyes of the girls at school. There was always one of those at every school without fail.

 _You dated one too though…_

Maya waved off the thought, her heart feeling that familiar pain when she thought of Josh.

"Well who's this guy everyone is fucked up over? I want to see what the big deal is."

Missy pointed a discreet finger in the direction of the table near the corner and near the glamour girls. And sure enough, Maya's eyes were drawn to the tanned guy seated in the eye of the storm, arm casually draped over a glamour girl's shoulder, his hand centimeters from brushing against her tit. She noticed his biceps first (she'd always been attracted to the arms on a guy), toned and peeking out from under the rolled up sleeves of his button down. She checked him out; the dangerous half-smirk, broad shoulders on the cusp of manhood, tousled hair framing a damn sexy face.

To sum him up in two words:

Fit and fuckable.

Very, _very_ fuckable.

 _Good God…_

They had not been exaggerating.

"…His sexual prowess is raved about, even by mothers at the grocery store!" Camille chattered excitedly. "He's the kind of guy who could definitely get you to cum multiple times just from looking at you! And he's intelligent to boot. Definitely going Ivy. They say it only takes one second for you to stare in his eyes before you fall in love. Two seconds, if you're a little resilient."

 _"Camille shut up!"_

Maya, Missy and Lexi all gave Camille annoyed looks, and she quieted, laughing to herself.

"So?" Missy said with a small, secretive smile, "How did you enjoy your first look at our high school's Casanova?"

Maya turned back to Missy. "How come I've never seen him before if he's supposedly super noticeable?"

"Oh, that's because he was suspended last week."

"What did he do?"

"Got in a fight with someone in the parking lot." Missy said, "Some guy slashed one of his ex's tires—she slept with Lucas to get back at him for dumping her—and Lucas hunted him down after school and beat the crap out of him."

"It was so hot…" Camille sighed wistfully, her hands on her heart. "I wish a guy could do that for me."

Maya shook her head in disgust. "He's nothing special. I've seen hotter guys."

Well that got their attention.

All three of her lunch companions stopped their gossiping and looked at Maya in surprise. Even Lexi, who had been surfing the net on her phone, now set it down on the table and was watching Maya with something like intrigue (it was hard to tell. Her face was still pretty pinched up).

"You've seen better looking guys than _Lucas Friar_?" Camille near spazzed. "Look at him. He's sex on two legs! What I wouldn't give to just–"

"He's alright." Maya cut her off quickly, definitely not interested in knowing the rest of that statement. "Seems a little overrated. I bet girls exaggerate about his skills too."

"You think he's overrated?" Lexi finally asked, after nearly being silent all lunch. Her eyes were glinting in excitement or disgust, Maya couldn't really tell.

"I mean, it seems kind of obvious." Maya shrugged. "He looks like he's the type of guy who wouldn't last too long either. Probably only cares about his own pleasure."

Missy snorted. "I knew I would really like you, Maya."

Lexi laughed too, but it was a short bark of laughter and entirely derogatory. "You're just so full of yourself. You like to talk shit, but at the end of the day, you're probably just like every one of his Stans, pining after him and wishing he could take you to his bed because you're never going to get any."

"I've had sex before, thanks." Maya snapped, bristling at Lexi's caustic words. "And it was awesome sex at that. Forgive me for not being intrigued by the looks of some pretty boy delinquent asshole."

Camille's eyes widened. "You've had sex? Shit, what was it like? Who did you do it with? How many times? What's your favourite position? What's your record for maximum orgasms?"

Missy shot her a look. "Camille. Down girl."

Lexi rolled her eyes. "Hate to break it to you, Maya. But I don't believe you. You just don't seem like the type of girl who could ever get a guy interested in you like that. You say you've had sex, but do you even know how to seduce someone?"

Well that just pissed her off.

"You don't know shit about me." Maya growled, "Back in New York, lots of people wanted me."

Lexi scoffed, "And by those lots of people, I'm sure you mean the ones you said were supposedly better looking than Lucas right?"

"Lexi chill out a bit." Missy said, sipping her water nonchalantly, "You're on full bitch mode."

She ignored Missy. "When I say seduce, I'm not talking about someone wanting you just because you have looks or because they're horny and just want a quick fuck. I'm talking about seducing a challenging guy. Making someone who isn't interested see you in that way."

"I've seduced lots of guys before."

Lies.

"Oh?" A dainty brow rose.

"In fact, I could probably easily seduce Lucas too."

 _Shit. What the fuck did I just say…_

The words slipped out of her mouth before she even realized they had come out, but by that point, it was too late anyway. The three girls were all watching her with interested looks, Lexi's smile growing particularly vengeful.

"You think you could easily seduce him?" Lexi set her chin on her hand. "He doesn't just screw anything with legs you know. He's pretty selective. And he tends to go for the more girly girls. I.e. not you and whatever rugged, leather artsy thing you've got going on here. Not to mention, he rarely sticks with the same girl longer than a few days."

"I could seduce him. Easily." Maya confirmed, sitting straighter and meeting Lexi's gaze head on. She wasn't intimidated by this bitch. "And he would come back for more."

"You're so sure that if you fucked him, he wouldn't toss you away like a used tissue?"

"Yeah. I am."

Lexi's brown eyes lit up mischievously.

"Alright then, Maya. I propose a bet."

Missy groaned. "Not this shit again. Enough. Stop trying to ' _initiate'_ all the people I find to be in our group with these stupid bets. I actually want Maya to stay in our group, you know?"

"You up for it?" Lexi asked Maya, ignoring Missy once again.

"What's the bet?"

"You have to seduce Lucas Friar. And after you fuck him, you have to make him want to keep you and not treat you like all the other notches on his belt."

"Time limit?"

"I'll give you until the end of the semester."

Maya scoffed, "End of the semester? I can have him begging on his knees in a month."

 _Fuck shit!_

Why the hell was she saying all this crap when it wasn't even anywhere near true?! Damn her and her competitive nature and challenging, hard-headed streak!

"Alright. You have exactly a month then." Lexi chuckled, "And if you fail, during a whole school assembly, you have to get up on stage and strip naked and say you fucked Janitor Harley."

"Lexi, that's vicious!" Camille looked appalled. "That's the most terrible punishment you've ever come up with."

"Shouldn't be a problem then, because I won't fail." Maya responded, glaring at Lexi with narrowed eyes. It was a bit of a gamble to agree to this, but dammit if she let this blonde bitch talk down to her like that.

"You don't have to do this if you don't want to." Missy said, rolling her eyes. "This is a crazy bet."

"I want to." Maya said, eyes still trained on Lexi and her ever growing, acerbic grin.

Besides, Maya needed something interesting to do in this school. And hey, maybe she'd have some fun out of it.

"Glad you do." Lexi said.

"And if I win? What do I get?"

"You can have the brand new convertible my stepdad bought me."

Camille gasped dramatically, putting her hand to her forehead and pretending to faint like Scarlett O'Hara in Gone With The Wind.

"Lexi, you just bet your car." Missy said slowly, "Are you both nuts? Why the hell would you even make this bet in the first place?"

"It doesn't matter. She's not going to win."

"We'll see about that." Maya said, eyeing her indifferently, though there were alarms ringing in her head that she was approaching really dangerous territory.

Lexi smiled, not particularly friendly and reached her hand out across the table. "Well then. Bet on?"

Maya clasped it, shaking it and keeping her eyes on the other blonde.

"Bet on."

What the hell had she just gotten herself into?


	2. Enter: Lucas Friar

**A/N: I know I said this in the first chapter, but I'm going to say this again, because lol I'm not kidding:  
**

 **This story will end up being Rated M. It will have copious amounts of gratuitous raunch, vulgarity, foul language, etc. (It's going to be dirty for real. NSFW) ;3 Lol consider this probably the tamest chapter of the whole story.  
**

 **CONGRATULATIONS: OpalGarnet and GMWlover123! You get a whole cookie for correctly guessing both! And Ria! You get a half cookie for correctly guessing one of them! *tosses confetti*  
**

 **Thank you all so much for all your sweet words and kind reviews! Thank you for the encouragement! I really truly appreciate it! It means so much to me :D  
**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own GMW or the characters, but shit... if I did... You guys better run... ヽ(￣д￣;)ノ=3=3=3**

* * *

Maya trudged through the hallway, her mind racing a mile a minute as she recounted—for the thousandth time—the absolutely terrible conversation from lunch.

What the fuck had she been thinking?!

Maya groaned, running a hand through her hair in frustration. She definitely _hadn't_ been thinking. If she had, she wouldn't have gotten herself into this ridiculous mess.

Seducing someone in a month?

Seriously, what the hell was wrong with her?

Curse her lies and big mouth. She had just wanted to prove to Lexi that she wasn't scared of her and that she could take her on. Maya wasn't one to get talked down to, and when Lexi had started acting all high and mighty, it had bothered Maya. She had just wanted to prove that she wasn't some weakling who would get trampled. She knew she wasn't in New York, but hell, old habits were hard to break and she had a reputation to build here.

But for all the confidence she had exuded when she spoke about her sexual experience, she was _definitely_ not that experienced.

She'd had sex a grand total of _three_ times, though she'd technically never gotten her orgasm. And all three times were with the same guy. In the same position. And that guy? It had taken her years to snag in the first place and that was thanks to Riley's intervention. And even then, he hadn't shown sexual interest in her at all until she'd asked him to take her virginity.

She had no idea how to even start getting Lucas interested.

"Hey Maya! Wait up!"

Maya looked over her shoulder and Missy bounded down the hall, waving excitedly, her hair flying around behind her. People moved aside quickly in alarm because clearly, Missy had no intention to avoid anyone and was fixing to bulldozer them if they didn't get the hell out of her way. She stopped next to Maya, a little out of breath, and rearranged her books in her hands before they tumbled to the ground.

"You're in history this period right?"

"Yeah." Maya said, eyeing her a little warily.

"Let's walk together." Missy grinned widely.

Maya shrugged and clutched her history textbook and notebook closer to her chest before continuing her walk down the hallway. Missy smiled triumphantly and matched her easy pace. She walked briskly, back straight and head held high. It was a sheer difference from Maya's feet-dragging, half-slouch, and made Maya somewhat anxious. Maya liked to live her life slow and easy, but Missy seemed like one of those girls who was _constantly_ moving and _constantly_ talking.

"You know," Missy said in concern, "I hope you're not doing this bet thing to prove a point."

"I'm not doing it to prove a point. I'm doing it because I'm bored." Maya said almost automatically.

Not completely untrue. She _was_ bored. But part of the reason she'd agreed to the bet was because she wanted to beat Lexi at her own stupid game. Shit, Maya had met her fair share of bitches in her lifetime, but Lexi had been the first to actually rile her up.

Missy shook her head with a sigh, "Those were also the words of the last girl who joined our group. I wonder how she's doing in Alaska..."

Maya snorted at her dramatics.

Missy glanced at her. "But seriously, Maya. Lexi does stupid bets with people for random things all the time. You don't have to follow through. It won't mean anything. Camille and I won't think you're a coward."

"I get it, you know. You think I'm going to fail. But I don't fail stuff I start." Maya said, "Especially when stakes are high."

"Fine." Missy sighed, a little dejectedly. "Okay, I'm going to help you because I want you to win, but only just this once because you're not supposed to get any help from us."

Maya rose a brow.

"Right now, Maya? You're not on Lucas' radar. At all. The first thing you need to do is to get him to notice you. But not just notice you. You need to hold that interest. You have to look like a cold glass of blonde water on a hundred degree day."

"Uh, thanks for the tip."

She was actually glad that Missy had given it to her. The odd analogy aside, it was actually kind of useful. Maya had no idea where to start.

"So what do I do? Like talk to him?"

Missy laughed uproariously as they turned the corner toward their history class.

"Oh no no no. One does not just _talk_ to Lucas Friar. He'll snub you without a second thought. Even worse than Lexi does. But that's all that you're getting from me."

"Oh c'mon Missy. You can't leave it like that. Tell me more."

She shook her head, her brown tresses bouncing around, and made the motion of a zipper on her lips before tossing the imaginary key over her shoulder. Maya rolled her eyes with an annoyed sigh, her shoulders slumping slightly in fake dejection.

"And I thought I could call you my friend…" she drawled, walking slightly ahead of Missy.

"Oh no you don't!" Missy said, speeding up too, "You can't play the friendship card on me! I won't fall for it. I won't!"

They walked into their history lecture. Maya opted to go towards her usual seat, front corner, not anywhere near the mass of other students and also too far out of the peripheral of the teacher to be noticed, but Missy grabbed her arm and redirected her to the back with her.

"Sit next to me." Missy said, "We can become history class buds!"

Maya rolled her eyes but settled into the desk beside Missy, dropping her books on the desk. There was a bump in her seat, but she ignored it, shifting around to try to find a more comfortable position. Her motions knocked the hair behind her ear out which jolted her pencil off of her ear. It bounced off her desk and dropped to the ground before rolling behind her desk and under the bookcase at the back of the classroom.

With an annoyed groan, Maya got out of her seat and got to the ground, crawling to the bookshelf and reaching her hand underneath to get her pencil. She strained a bit, her arm fighting being squeezed under the small space, but she forced it with a slight grunt of exertion.

"Miss Hart. While I'm sure the floor must be comfortable, you think you could sit at your desk so class can begin?" Mrs. Callahan said dryly from the head of the classroom.

Maya stiffened. She could feel all eyes on her, little snickers resounding in various parts of the class. Licking her lips a bit nervously, she pulled her arm out from under the case and sat back on her knees, fighting her blush. What the hell was this? This type of shit didn't happen to _Maya Hart_.

She swiveled her head around slowly.

And that was when she noticed who was sitting in the previously unoccupied seat beside hers.

Lucas Friar.

Maya stiffened and froze when her eyes met his: a dreamy, gorgeous soft green. She _hated_ clichés with a passion, but she swore when their eyes met, she felt goosebumps rise on her arms and legs. His gaze was alarming, and it made her feel like she was naked or something. Was this what Camille had been talking about?

 _Shit_ …

She had been able to tell he was good looking in the cafeteria, but up close, he looked even better than she had originally assumed. It was almost criminal, as stupid as that sounded. It was shocking how scarily attractive this guy was. Damn, she could definitely see what it was about him that made people go crazy.

"Miss Hart. Now if you could please stop staring at Mr. Friar and take your seat, we could finally get this lecture started."

Maya was mortified. She knew her cheeks were on fire. And it didn't help that the students in the class were still snickering in amusement. She really hoped she didn't look like she was a fangirl.

She hopped up off of the floor and hurried into her seat, when she caught a whiff of a spicy cologne that derailed her. Her heart almost stopped.

It was the same scent. _His_ scent.

Maya took in a sharp breath, and she snapped her gaze to Lucas in surprise. Why did he have to have the same damn scent? Dammit, not this one. Of all aromas, he just had to have the same cologne of her ex. One of Lucas' brows rose slightly, and Maya shifted her gaze back to the front, trying to pretend like it didn't bug her.

Maya sighed and leaned over to Missy, "Can I borrow a pencil?"

She nodded and handed it to Maya, a slightly amused expression on her face from the awkward turn of events. Maya straightened and tried to focus on the lecture, though she kept catching the scent of Lucas' damn cologne. And every time she inhaled it, it only brought back another unforgotten and sore memory from her previous failed relationship.

 _"Maya, it's not you. It's me. I just don't think I can handle a long-distance relationship."_

She grit her teeth, clenching the sparkly pink pencil tightly as the wounds opened once again. He hadn't even had the decency to tell her face-to-face. He'd broken up with her through a damn voicemail _after_ she and her mother had arrived in Austin, Texas not two weeks before. He never answered any of her calls after that. And then he had the nerve to text her and ask her if she could send back any of the sweatshirts she'd kept.

(She didn't give a flying fuck that they were his sweatshirts. She wasn't going to give them back.)

Stupid Lucas Friar and his stupid cologne.

It was bringing up some pretty painful feelings she hadn't had a chance to properly get closure from.

And then a note landed on her desk.

From her _left._

Maya frowned and unfolded the note, wondering why the hell Lucas was passing her notes in class.

 _Nice ass._

For a second, she stared at it wondering if she had opened up a note that was supposed to be passed to someone else. It didn't make sense. They had never had a conversation before, much less been formally introduced. But when she spared a glance in his direction, she saw his small smirk was aimed at her.

Okay, so he was definitely passing the note to her. Maya considered ignoring him, but for some inexplicable reason, he'd complimented her ass. And she wanted to know why. She scribbled a sloppy ' _what_ ' before folding it up again and tossing it back to him.

A few seconds later, she got her response:

 _The gum adds a nice touch._

Her face dropped and brows rose high on her forehead.

"Fuck!"

Maya shot out of her chair, twisting her torso around and checking her bum in shock. Sure enough, there was an awkward stain of smeared gum stain on the cheek of her jeans. She looked at the chair of her desk and saw the outline of some old gum.

Why hadn't she checked before sitting down?!

She just _had to_ sit on some fucking gum. Who the hell left gum on a chair anyway?! What the hell was up with this day? Maya was completely off her game. These embarrassing occurrences didn't happen to her. They just didn't.

"Miss Hart." Mrs. Callahan said, a brow raised in exasperation, "Care to explain what you are doing out of your seat?"

"Uhhh..." She didn't want to call attention to the fact that she had a stain on her butt.

Missy glanced at her in confusion, clearly wondering why Maya had suddenly spazzed out. And once again, the students were all staring at her, awaiting for her explanation.

"She's got gum on her ass." Lucas said, an amused look on his face.

There were snickers and snorts from several students, and Maya shot him a glare, her teeth grit in annoyance.

"Really?"

His answering challenging smirk made the hairs on Maya's neck stand on end in ire.

Okay. It was official.

Lucas Friar was an ass.

Fuck his deep, velvety smooth voice.

This guy was a real ass.

"Would you like to go to the lavatory to clean yourself up, Miss Hart?"

"Yeah."

"Then go take care of your _sticky_ situation." Mrs. Callahan said, her face looking irritated. "And when you come back, let's not have any more disruptions, yeah?"

The class burst out laughing, and Missy gave her a sympathetic look as she removed her leather jacket and tied it around her waist. Great, she'd embarrassed herself in front of the entire class and within ten minutes had managed to make a teacher already be exasperated by her. This school was already starting to look better and better each and every day...

Maya stomped out of the class, internally seething. She was so glad she tended to keep an extra pair of pants in her locker for days she had art and accidentally spilled paint (particularly _red_ paint) on her pants. Maya went to her locker and banged it open with her fist, alarming some students making out at the end of the hallway. But she didn't care.

Mood stormy, she went to the bathroom and changed out of her dirty pants and into the fresh pair. She splashed some cold water on her face a couple times to help calm herself down.

"Alright Maya… You had a rough first week. And clearly this week is shaping up to be shitty if you let things continue like this. Time to bring out Peaches."

She'd gotten too lenient. No one at her old school would even consider laughing at her or fucking with her. Not unless they wanted to face her wrath. It was time to get back some of her old self.

Taking a deep breath, she left the bathroom and returned her pants to her locker before tugging on her jacket and going back to the classroom. She walked in with a scowl, casting glares at anyone who dared look amused at her expense. She mentally smirked in satisfaction when their expressions sobered up pretty quickly.

Lucas was texting when she got back to her chair.

"You're an ass." She said to him with a glare.

"That so?" He barely spared her a glance, a bored expression on his face. "Good to know."

Damn he pissed her off.

She spent the remainder of class stewing over the ridiculousness of the day, pissed off and grouchy that things had turned out so terribly. When the bell finally rang after an hour of having to block her nose so she didn't keep inhaling the cologne, Maya got out of her seat in record time, not wanting to be in there another damn second.

Missy followed her, a small smile on her face as they left the class and made their way to the senior locker area.

"So? What do you think?"

"About what?"

"Lucas. First impressions. Isn't he a real asshole?"

"Never has 'looks can be deceiving' rang truer than when pertaining to Lucas Fuckboy Friar." Maya's eyes narrowed. "His looks are completely wasted on him."

But she couldn't deny that she was glad that he actually was as much a dick as Missy and Camille had said. It made her even less worried about the whole seduction ploy. If she absolutely hated him, then she would really enjoy taking him down.

Her shit list was growing at an alarming rate. First Lexi and now Lucas. All in half a day.

"That's what you would think." Missy laughed, clapping Maya on the shoulder. "Just be careful. Guys who act like really big assholes aren't usually such big assholes."

Maya rolled her eyes. " _That_ I need proof for."

"Challenge accepted, Maya Hart. I'll get you your proof." Missy winked as she started to walk away. "Anyway, I've got some errands to run for my mom, so I'll see you tomorrow!"

Maya grabbed her stuff from her locker and then rushed to the back of the parking lot before she missed her school bus. Usually, her mother would pick her up, but that week she'd started at her new job and her hours didn't allow her to pick Maya up. And since they only had one car to share, Katy had taken it.

Between taking the subway home every day versus the school bus, she definitely much preferred the former. But that wasn't an option unfortunately.

Maya hopped on her bus and made her way to her usual seat in the back of the school bus intending to pop her headphones in and try to drown out the sounds of any conversations. As she walked through the aisle, she saw Camille in one of the back seats and she waved excitedly, calling her over. Maya took a seat next to her, hoping she wasn't going to chat her ears out. Maya could tell she was one of those people who liked to talk a hell of a lot.

But Camille was staring out the window, her eyes stuck on something in the parking lot.

"Isn't he a dreamboat?" Camille sighed wistfully, face almost completely pressed against the glass.

Maya knew exactly who she meant by _he_ and looked out the window because of some stupid morbid curiosity she couldn't even begin to explain. There were a bunch of popular students hanging out and chilling by their cars. And right up against a truck was Lucas heavily making out with some girl who was draped around him like kudzu.

Maya felt sick to her stomach.

They were practically about to have sex against his car. He had a hand up under her shirt and the other hitching up her leg. She didn't know which part was worse: the fact that he had no qualms doing that kind of shit in the middle of public or the fact that no one seemed to be bothered by it in the least, like it was some common, everyday occurrence. Either way, it was disgusting.

And she'd learned two very valuable lessons about Lucas Friar that day.

One? That he was a real dick. And two? That he was a pig.

If this was the guy she had to seduce, she was _so_ fucked.


	3. The Plot Thickens

**A/N: There's just a lot of experimentation with this story :) I kind of like this chill manner of writing!  
**

 **Thank you very much for the reviews you sweet, sweet lovely cupcakes! I really appreciate it! :))))  
**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own GMW or the characters, but shit... if I did... You guys better run... ヽ(￣д￣;)ノ=3=3=3**

* * *

"Alright hun. You're the last stop." The bus driver, Miss Evie, called out, a smile on her face as she stopped in front of Maya's house.

Maya sighed and pulled her bookbag strap back on her shoulder before thanking Miss Evie and heading off. It'd been a long, traffic filled, neverending chattering Camille ride. She'd talked Maya's ear off about some new television show that was all the rage, animatedly discussing why she believed one couple was superiour to the other. The whole conversation, Maya had nodded along, pretending to be listening, but in reality, she was stowing over the occurrence in her history course.

After Camille had gotten off at her stop, Maya had finally had a chance to relax. Fortunately, she lived in a neighbourhood well before Maya's so Maya had gotten the chance to rest a bit. Don't get her wrong, Camille seemed like a really nice girl. But Maya had a feeling that she would probably get pretty exasperated by her often.

Maya headed past the uncut grass of their front lawn, staring up at the sensible two story house, the shingles of the upper window slightly crooked and the battered puke yellow wall in desperate need of a new paint job. She sighed. They had a lot of work to do. They couldn't even get into the front door because it was wedged shut for some reason. It was a pain.

She walked around the side of the house, past a bunch of twigs and leaves towards the back. There was a ton of rusted clutter in the back, shovels and lawn mower and rakes and other crap that the previous owners of this house had left and that neither Maya nor Katy had ever used before. They lived in an apartment in Greenwich Village for goodness sakes! There was no need to ever mow lawns or do landscaping. Katy had asserted Maya that the whole house clean-up process would be fun for them both, but Maya wasn't so sure. This was yet another reason why Maya wasn't looking forward to living in Austin.

The kitchen door facing their backyard was open as Maya carefully avoided stepping on any of the clutter, and Maya walked into the house, her boots clomping noisily on the creaking wooden boards of their back porch. There were several boxes all over the kitchen and aligned along the hallways leading to the other rooms. Even after about three weeks of living there, they still hadn't unpacked everything. The house was a mess.

Katy was stooped over one of their moving boxes, rummaging through it with her lips pursed in distaste.

"I swear…" Katy muttered pensively, "I thought for sure I put it in this box…"

"Mom. I'm home." Maya said, tossing her keys on the kitchen counter.

Katy stood up with a jovial smile as she faced Maya, her hands on her hips. She was wearing a red bandana, plaid shirt, overalls, and had braided her hair into two pleats under a cowboy hat on her head. The whole look was completed with some iconic cowboy boots. Clearly she was really loving that "country girl/cowgirl" stereotype.

"How was the start your second week of school, baby girl?"

Maya carefully navigated her way to their minifridge, opening it and checking to see if they had anything to drink. There were a couple waters, and Maya snatched one up before replying to her mother.

"Pretty lame." _Except for the part where I made a bet to seduce a guy and sleep with him._

Not that she would ever tell her mother that…

Maya unscrewed the cap and took a couple big gulps. "I made a friend though."

"Ooh! That's great! I did too." Katy clapped her hands excitedly. "She invited us to dinner tonight as a sort of welcome to Texas thing. She said she has a son your age you can talk to Maya. He goes to your school."

"That's great, Mom…" Maya replied absentmindedly, her knee on the counter as she rummaged with difficulty in their cabinets for the cookies. She was so hungry and lunch had been a tense affair (not to mention the lump, soggy mashed potatoes) so she honestly hadn't eaten much. "I'm a little tired though, so I'm gonna go try to take a nap."

She procured the pack of cookies from the cabinet triumphantly, and she gave herself a pat on the back when she didn't tumble backwards and topple into the moving boxes nearby like some twisted form of human bowling. Maya opened the pack and popped one of the chewy chocolate chip goodies in her mouth. At the sight of food, Katy walked over to her daughter, playfully bumping her aside with her hip before grabbing a cookie as well.

"Alright, Maya. We'll be leaving in about two hours."

Maya nodded, munching blissfully on the soft, chewy cookie.

"Oh and please make sure to dress nice! This is my first friend in this city and I want to make a good impression. I haven't had anyone to talk to since your father and I finalized the divorce and we moved here."

"Sure thing Mom." Maya rolled her eyes, snatching a handful and beginning to make her way towards the stairwell in the kitchen to head upstairs to her room.

Her mom acted more like a high school chick than she did.

"Wear that nice dress Gammy got you for your seventeenth birthday!" Katy said excitedly, "That short one with the frills."

Maya froze in her getaway, one foot on the lower step, and she faced Katy with her nose wrinkled in disgust.

"Eww… That frou frou dress? It's terrible."

"Please Maya? It's the only thing you own that isn't ripped up or paint splattered or vulgar. Or inappropriately short. Do it for me? For your mommy? I don't have any friends here and I'm lonely."

Katy pouted cutely, batting her eyelashes rapidly. Fuck, Maya hated it when her mom did that. It was physically impossible to say no.

"Fine Mom. I'll wear it for you." Maya said with narrowed eyes, pointing an accusatory finger at her mother who had a wide grin on her face. "But just so you know, you're overdoing it with the whole cowgirl image. You look stupid."

"You think so, baby girl?" Katy muttered, looking down at her clothes and checking herself out pensively. "I thought so too… Maybe I should change the boots…?"

Maya made her way up the stairs, leaving her mother to her contemplation and walked down the hall to her bedroom, munching on her cookies all the while. She was met with the lingering stench of must and that old dusty smell that tended to linger in particularly older houses. Her nose wrinkled in disgust. Despite the numerous vanilla scented candles she had set up all over her room and lighted every day, the smell never seemed to go away. It annoyed Maya.

Most of Maya's stuff was still almost completely in the moving boxes, and she hadn't yet set up her bed. For some reason, she kept hoping that maybe her mother would change her mind at the last minute and move them back to New York, but with each week that passed Maya knew very well that it was unlikely.

With a sigh of defeat, Maya dropped her messenger bag onto the ground and rummaged through the only box she'd opened and grabbed her sketchbook and sketching pencil from the top of the pile. She tugged the step ladder in her room over to the circular window near her bed—mattress—and carefully climbed up the ladder, pushing the window open with a loud, protesting creak. Paint chipped off the window's frame and fluttered into her room and Maya quickly ducked and weaved, closing her eyes before it got up her nose and caused her a sneezing fit.

Once she thought it was safe, Maya pulled herself through the window, appreciative for her miniscule size. The average human being wouldn't be able to fit into the window, so she was glad about it. Maya crawled out the window to the roof and then she slowly climbed up the slope to the very top of their roof. She settled in her usual spot, a nice little indentation at the top of the peak of their roof. When she faced the horizon, she could see pretty much all the other houses in their neighbourhood.

(Including awkward things like neighbours fucking in their children's treehouses. Oh and there was that old man who did aerobics in his backyard naked.)

But she didn't come up here to people watch, as amusing a pastime as it was in this drab new life of hers.

When she told her mom she was taking a "nap", it usually meant she needed time to draw by herself. And this was the perfect spot to let her mind take her to new, creative places and find more inspiration to draw. She supposed that, despite how much she didn't like this house, her little secret place wasn't too bad.

Maya flipped her sketchbook open to the most recent drawing she'd been working on—a little girl lost in a meadow of sunflowers—but even as she put her pencil to the paper, she knew it was useless. Her mind wasn't on her drawing today.

It was on the Lunchtime Catastrophe and that stupid bet she'd gotten trapped in.

It was stuck on that asshole Lucas and how humiliated she had felt during class.

It was on the fact that her damn bet was to _seduce_ said asshole.

In a month.

And the more she thought about it, the more she realized it was unbelievably bad.

Why oh why hadn't she just taken the out Missy had given her? One of these days, her pride was really going to get her into some real trouble if she didn't tamper it down. Hell, she already was in some deep shit at the moment what with the fact that she had to figure out how to attract this douchebag asshole into hopping into bed with her and sticking with her.

She needed a good plan. And if she wanted a good plan, she had to brainstorm.

With a sigh, Maya flipped to a new page of her sketchbook, writing at the top in big bold letters:

 **SEDUCE THE DICKHEAD**

Plan Seduce The Dickhead. Also known as STD.

Thankfully, Missy had given her a good idea of where to start in this little farce. He had to notice her first. But aside from his interest, he had to be attracted to her. And not just physically attracted to her, but sexually attracted. Maya wasn't a troll or anything like that, so she had no doubt, her looks were fine. She was sure she could be _physically_ admired or attractive to him. The difficulty was sexually arousing him.

Which was the problem here:

Maya didn't know _how_ to sexually arouse a guy. Just going up and asking him to fuck her would definitely not go well, not to mention if she was too easy, he'd lose interest really quickly.

Maya groaned, scratching her head as she thought about it.

She just couldn't figure it out.

"Okay, let's work backwards..."

To get Lucas to screw her, she had to make him want to screw her. To make him want to screw her, she had to make him desire her as a partner. And to make him desire her as a partner, well, she wasn't really sure. She didn't know exactly what set his blood running south.

But that had given her an idea.

Maya quickly jotted down a note at the top, reminding herself that she had some recon and info gathering to do. Missy wasn't allowed to help Maya with the bet, but Missy the knowledge machine could. For a price.

Maya spent a while just jotting down more notes and figuring out what she should do about her little plan. By the time she checked her phone and saw that she had about thirty minutes to get ready for this dinner thing, she had her entire plan set with a couple small notes of what she needed to do in order to ensure her success.

She still didn't know what to do to get on his radar. But she supposed she would have to figure that out after the dinner.

Maya crawled carefully back down the slope, being careful not to lose her footing and tumble off the roof. She wiggled herself back into her mini window, feet first, and made sure she had her footing on the step ladder before she pulled the rest of her body in. She climbed off and tossed her sketchpad on her bed, heading over to the suitcase.

Maya dug through her open suitcases in the corner, digging around for the sparkly pink monstrosity that her mother had requested she wear. She unearthed it from under the piles of worn sweaters she saved for cold winter evenings and held it up in front of her face, grimacing in disgust at the outdated ballerina frills of the dress and sequins on the skirt of the dress.

"It's just for tonight Maya…" she muttered to herself, "Then you can rip it to shreds and burn it."

She tossed off her clothes and threw on the dress, before quickly running to her bathroom and checking her face and hair. Her hair was a tangled mess and wasn't looking too fresh at the moment. She shrugged indifferently. She could look better, but she honestly didn't care.

Maya ran back to her room and slipped on her combat boots, grabbing the knitted satchel Riley had given her in their sophomore year and her cellphone before she hightailed it out of her room just in time for Katy to shout for her downstairs. Maya hurried down the stairs, stopping in front of her mom with a raised brow.

"You called?"

Katy had changed into a sensible black dress and some tame heels. Her hair was pinned up in a really nice up do and a splash of red lipstick covered her lips. She'd gone all out with her eye makeup too, the smoky look surrounding her eyes making them look sultry. She looked like she did when she would go out with her gal friends.

"Wow Mom. You look smokin' hot." Maya gave her a thumbs up.

"Thank you." Katy did a little model pose, poking out her lips in a playful, sexy duck face before she straightened and rose a brow at Maya. "You however, do not. Why didn't you do your hair at least?"

"Compromise." Maya drawled. "Either my hair looks good and the clothes are shabby or the hair is shabby and the clothes look good. You don't get both."

Katy stared at her for a moment, as if seriously considering it before she nodded in understanding.

"Fair enough. Keep the dress. Now let's get going!"

She ushered Maya out of the door before shutting it tight and locking it. Maya hopped into their car—an old model Katy had found in a used car lot for cheap—Katy ignited it and then they were on their way to this so called friend.

Maya fiddled with the radio for a bit, searching for something good to play. And when it finally landed on some pop station, she and her mother both started singing loudly along, bobbing their heads and dancing in their seats. Maya generally hated mainstream pop music, but Katy loved it, and it was a good way for them to bond, so she typically tried to find songs they could both jam to.

After a while, as they rode through the city, Maya noticed they were heading quite far from their quaint little neighbourhood and into an area that seemed a little more affluent. Maya peered out of the window, gawking the slightest bit when they turned into a suburban neighbourhood with fairly large houses and almost mansions.

Maya looked at her mother in confusion. "Where did you say you met this woman?"

"She came in to buy some coffee."

Katy was the manager and proud owner of a quaint little cake and coffee shop in the middle of the city, so it wasn't very uncommon for her to meet some eccentric characters or people from all sorts of different backgrounds, but Maya could clearly see that this woman who she had befriended was most likely on the pretty rich side.

"Holy shit…" Maya said, looking as they passed a beautiful stucco house on a high hill that was immaculately treated. There was a literal gateman in front of the driveway of the house. "No wonder you want to be her friend. She's probably loaded as hell."

"No that's not it." Katy said, looking a bit awed herself, "I never realized she was that rich. She came into the bakery wearing some sweatpants. And she was complaining about how her divorce emptied her bank account because they didn't sign a prenup and her ex ran off with most everything she had."

"Clearly she has a _different_ definition of an 'empty bank account'." Maya joked, trying to bring some levity in the situation. "You chickening out?"

Her mother was usually always bubbly and never showed her insecurities plainly on her face, but Maya knew their poverty sometimes got to her. Even with their settlement, they weren't exactly in any position to be spending freely. Maya didn't care about it much, but she knew it bothered Katy to see some other women and how they dressed and enjoyed their life. Maya couldn't remember the last time her mother had taken a break from work to go on vacation.

"No. Just a little shocked, I guess." Katy said, checking from mailbox to mailbox and looking at the post-it note with the directions scrawled on it. "Look for 2647 on the right. She said she lived in a beige house."

They drove slowly down the street, both staring at the houses and growing increasingly more and more anxious with each huge house they passed. Maya knew that they were both holding their breath wondering which of these near mansions might be Katy's friend's. And then Maya saw 2647.

"Mom, it's this one."

Katy turned into the driveway, and Maya cranked down the window, leaning her head out and staring at the house. It wasn't as big as some of the other mansions she'd seen on that street, but it was still pretty big. It looked like it could be a damn country club with a carved stone arch leading to a two story, cream coloured almost mansion with wide, large windows. There were hedges and an array of perfectly trimmed rose bushes surrounding the house and creating a path down the cobblestone driveway to where a small roundabout formed around a fountain with a baby in the center, shooting water out of his little ding dong.

 _That is so unbelievably tacky. Who the fuck chose that?_

Maya frowned as Katy parked in front of the house and cut off the car. They both sat in their seats, quietly contemplating what they could be walking into.

"Mom, you okay?" Maya asked, concerned by her mother's silence.

Katy let out a shuddering breath after a short while.

"Okay pact." Katy said, turning to face Maya. "We go in there, and for whatever reason, if it's the worst experience of our lives, we're saving each other, okay?"

"Are we talking period cramps? Massive migraine? Vomiting? The runs? How extreme?"

"Extreme enough that we can hightail it out of there."

"Done and done." Maya said.

They shook on it and both left their car, climbing up the cyclic stairs to the front door. Katy rang the doorbell, setting her face into her tight million dollar smile, the kind that she only wore when she felt unbelievably awkward. The doorbell was a fanfare, and Maya could hear it echoing inside the home. She had a feeling the inside would be just as grand as the outside.

Maya turned around and looked around the driveway of the house, squinting at the trimmed plants and large trees framing the driveway as she waited for the woman to answer. Her eyes landed on a truck parked off to the side, hidden underneath the shade of a few trees. It looked kind of familiar, but she couldn't quite place where she had seen it.

When the sound of a door unlocked, she faced the front, putting a smile on her face for the sake of her mom.

The door swung open to a tall woman with chestnut brown eyes and mussed dirty blonde hair. She had a bright smile on her face and the first thing she did was launch herself at Katy, enveloping her in a tight hug.

"Oh I am so happy you're here! Thank you for coming Katy!"

Katy looked a little taken aback for a second, but her smile grew more natural, and she returned the hug with a laugh.

"Well, you made an offer I couldn't resist Layla. How could I not come for free wine?"

"You're going to _love_ the wine! I've been aging it for almost ten years. I'm so glad I have you to try it with me now!" Layla pulled away, smiling. "Come in!"

They followed Layla into the house. Maya's eyes widened as she took in the grand foyer of the house, the high swooping ceiling, the spiraling stairwell leading to upper chambers. The humongous chandelier lighting up the hall. There were numerous paintings decorating the wall, and Maya couldn't help but be intrigued by them.

But her mother and Layla had begun to move on, so she rushed after them, looking from left to right into the various rooms they passed. They passed a huge living room with plush couches and ottomans and love seats that probably would suck her in if she sat in them. Layla led them to a kitchen with black granite countertops and fully stocked with every amenity that was just as gorgeous as the other parts of the house Maya had seen. Maya could tell Katy was just as awestruck. This was a _far_ cry from their own kitchen, with its chipped paint, aged cabinets, and without a damn refrigerator.

"So who's this beautiful young lil' lady?" Layla asked as she walked into her pantry to pull out something.

Maya almost rose a brow. She knew she was _small_ , especially compared to this tall ass woman, but she did not look like a child. She was almost the same size as her mother, and they could wear each other's clothes and undergarments.

(Except maybe she did look like a child with the dumb dress she was wearing).

"This is Maya, my daughter." Katy said as Layla walked back out with a bottle of red wine.

"Oh! This is the Maya you were talking about. Nice to meet you." Layla said congenially, "You're eighteen, right?"

"I will be in January." Maya replied.

Layla nodded with a smile. "My son is eighteen. I think he goes to your school."

"I think my mom mentioned something like that." Maya shrugged, "But to be honest, I don't know that many people yet, so I probably don't know your son."

"I see. Well, maybe you might have met him. His name is—"

"Mom, where do you want me to put this?"

And Maya froze when she heard that slightly country, deep, velvety smooth, rich like chocolate, make your panties drop drawl.

Because the newcomer who entered into the kitchen from the back patio?

The notorious ass she'd had the absolute _displeasure_ of meeting earlier that afternoon.

" _Lucas_."


	4. He's An Ass

**A/N: If you PMed me and I haven't responded yet, it is not—I repeat, NOT—because I don't want to respond to you :) I love you guys! The problem is that I get so carried away responding to things that after I'm done I don't work on the chapters of any stories. So I'm doing it the other way around this time. I'm trying to update pretty much every story (and there are a lot LOL) and then responding slowly to messages bit by bit.  
So again, I promise I'm not ignoring you! I love chatting with all of you lovely people :) I just have to get some stuff out of the way first.**

 **There will be another update in 24 hours or so! (Because I wrote out this full chapter and it was 7K, so I chopped it in half lol)  
**

 **Thank you for the reviews! It means the world to me that you're taking time out of your day to do so. It's truly heartwarming, and I hope you all have wonderful days! :3  
**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own GMW or the characters, but shit... if I did... You guys better run... ヽ(￣д￣;)ノ=3=3=3**

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This was her worst nightmare times ten. Times a thousand. Times infinity!

Layla was Lucas' _mom_?!

Shit, now she remembered where she had seen the truck at the front of the house before. Lucas had been making out against it. It was _his_ truck.

Of all the stupid fucking shit that could happen to her, why this? And furthermore, why was this horrible day continuing to get even worse? This was some trifecta type bullshit, and Maya vaguely wondered if Murphy's Law was dead set on starting to take effect.

Why oh why was her mom's new possible bestie Lucas' damn mother?!

Maya's lip curled in disgust and she glared at him, her fists clenched in annoyance. Lucas turned to face her after her outburst, recognition slowly dawning in his expression after a few seconds of scrutinizing her silently, no doubt trying to figure out if she had been an old hookup. An amused look crept on his face as his eyes traveled down her form. He looked like he was two seconds from laughing his ass off, and Maya fought to keep her embarrassed blush from growing on her face.

Fuck this.

On the very day she had to have dinner at Lucas' house, she just _happened_ to be wearing some ballerina bullshit dress with frills and sequins that not only was from decades ago, but also made her look like a fashion challenged junior high nut.

 _Just great_.

Layla nodded with a smile. "Right! Lucas. You've met my son?"

"We had a little run in today." Lucas replied with a snort when Maya's eyes narrowed. "Nice dress, by the way."

Maya grit her teeth, exhaling slowly through her nose and trying to keep her major annoyance off her face. If she didn't let him see it, he wouldn't have the upper hand.

"Lucas, don't be rude." Layla said sternly, "She looks lovely."

"Yeah. Whatever." He waved off her comment indifferently before holding up a candle. "Where do you want me to put this?"

"Set that in the holder of the sitting room table please. I think I removed the old one because it melted too far down. Oh, and while you're at it, why don't you give Maya a small tour of the place?"

"That's a lovely idea!" Katy exclaimed, grinning widely. "Maya doesn't have that many friends here so that would be nice."

" _Mom_." Maya said, knowing her cheeks had burned a little. Shit, why was her mom so embarrassing sometimes? "I don't really need a tour, it's no big deal."

"I don't mind showing you around." Lucas said, shrugging nonchalantly.

Maya glanced at him in mistrust. His tone was simple enough, but the expression in his eyes was teasing and almost a little dangerous. Hell no. She wasn't about to go on some tour with him _alone_ with no witnesses if he tried anything funny.

"Maya go with the nice boy." Katy said slowly, piercing Maya with a poignant look, "So Layla and I can chat. You know, like _friends_ do?"

"Mom, I think you have cramps, don't you? Or a migraine. A really bad one."

Katy narrowed her eyes at Maya. "I don't know what you're talking about, Maya. I feel fine."

"Well I think you had a headache before coming here." Maya said through grit teeth. "We should probably _leave_ to take care of that."

"I'm telling you Maya. I'm fine." Katy bit back in the same tone.

 _What happened to saving each other? The traitor!_

Maya was getting ready to retort and try to drive her point once more, but when she stared at her mom, she saw a new expression in her eyes. Katy was almost pleading, imploring Maya to please let them stay so she could solidify her friendship with Layla. And Maya recalled her mother's words about not having any friends to chill with. She knew Katy needed this. At least one acquaintance after the blow up of the divorce left so many people she used to talk to wary to choose sides. In the end, loyalties had left Katy without many friends.

"Fine." Maya said with a sigh, and Katy smiled warmly, her brown eyes shining in in silent thanks.

"I have some aspirin if you need some…?" Layla said tentatively, looking bewildered.

"It's fine." Maya said, turning to Lucas and knowing she was setting herself up for disaster by agreeing to go anywhere with this asshole. "So? Take me on a tour."

"Right this way." He said with a smirk, turning and walking out of the kitchen.

Maya cast her mom one last narrow eyed glare before following him as he walked down the hall. They walked to a quaint sitting room, lavished with a soft carpet, plush couches and a sofa decorated with hand-stitched throw pillows. It had a homey feel to it with its fireplace and the multiple bookshelves aligning the walls. The colour combination of this room seemed to be tan and red with a hint of brown and Maya really liked it. It reinforced the idea of warmth and coziness. If she lived here, she was sure she could spend hours in this room just drawing.

Maya was pretty tempted to see what particular books were read in the Friar household, but she withheld her intrigue, opting to turn around instead and look at the painting on the wall behind her. It looked like a local artist had done it, and Maya mentally reminded herself to ask Layla about the origin of some of the paintings she'd seen. They were absolutely gorgeous.

"Are you into art?" Lucas asked, his voice directly behind her.

Maya nearly jumped the hell out of her skin, surprised that she hadn't even heard him approach in the first place. She almost let out a gasp and was about to move away when he continued to speak before she had a chance to respond.

"You know I'm shocked that there's a senior girl in the world who owns something like this." He said with a snort, lifting up a little of the bottom of her dress. "Where'd you even find this thing from?"

Maya spun around sharply, slapping his hand off of the dress and taking a wide step back from him. Lucas was looking entirely too amused, and Maya looked up in surprise, realizing for the first time how tall he really was now that he was standing right in front of her. She was pretty sure she wouldn't come up over his shoulders even with her heels.

"That's harassment." She snapped. "Get your fucking hand off my dress."

A flash of something almost treacherous passed through his eyes, and Maya forced herself to hold her ground, despite her sudden feelings that she was a moth trapped in a spider's web. And the spider was approaching slowly.

"Harassment?" he grinned, his eyes dancing with something a little dangerous, "That was never my intention, _Miss Hart_."

The way he said her name sent a jolt down her back, and she stared up at him anxiously, honestly not liking the turn of this conversation. She felt like she was being backed into a corner.

And then a wave of cologne hit her nose, and Maya's eyebrows lifted, the familiar feelings of nostalgia and pain drifting over her body every time that she caught a whiff of that very scent. The scent that was still clinging to the clothes she refused to give back to Josh that she secretly slept in because it reminded her of his warm arms wrapped around her from behind, holding her tightly and helping her to feel at ease for once in her crazy life. Thanks to him, the times when her mother and father were arguing and fighting every single waking hour of every single day, she'd been able to sleep well. It meant so much to her and those nights they spent talking until the sun came out, Josh just comforting her as her parents' marriage fell apart was one of the reasons why she fell for him so hard. She thought it'd meant something to him too.

And then he'd just tossed her out like garbage.

There was a painful tug in her heart, and Maya quickly swallowed the lump in her throat down, forcing herself to change her thoughts before any indication that she was set to cry appeared on her face.

Fuck. No matter how much she tried to ignore the hurt, it had an iron grip on her, attacking her whenever it chose and cascading her into another bout of melancholy.

"What's with that look?"

Lucas roused her out of her memories, and Maya's vision focused on him. His eyes were narrowed, his expression darkened the slightest bit. And Maya was suddenly reminded of the moth in the spider's web.

"What look?" She said nervously, taking steps back from him as he took a couple steps forward, advancing upon her.

"That look of longing you get as if you want someone to fuck you." Lucas said with a sneer, steadily approaching her. "This is the second time you've looked at me like that, you know?"

Maya's back hit the wall behind her, and she glared up at him, holding her ground despite her nerves. She wouldn't get intimidated or affected, no matter how green his eyes were or how attractive his face was or how good he fucking smelled.

"I _could_ lower my standards. A lot." He muttered, caging her with his arms and leaning down with a smirk. "You are cute enough, I guess."

"Whoa what the fuck." Lower his standards? Hell no! She was the best he could do thank you very much! And she was way out of his league. The look in his eyes told her he was completely playing her. "I am _not_ interested in you in the least. Especially not for sex, you Neanderthal."

"I beg to differ. I saw the way you were staring at me in class today."

Her cheeks rouged, knowing she had definitely been awkwardly staring, especially after recognizing his cologne. "I was not staring."

"Yes you were." He said, his voice taking on a sinfully low tone, green eyes glinting in challenge, daring her to refute the statement. "Deny it."

She knew the unspoken end to his sentence: _I dare you_.

Maya's breath almost caught in her chest at his veiled threat, but she narrowed her eyes. She was not about to let him try to derail her like this. Sure she was pretty damn attracted to the scent of his cologne and he was attractive as hell, especially up close and personal like this, but she was not attracted to _him_. Especially not with his obvious womanizing and cocky asshole behaviour. He was not her type.

She planted her hands on his chest and pushed him away from her, moving away from the wall and standing at a good distance from him.

"Let's get something straight, you damn _fuckboy_."

"Fuckboy, huh?" He chuckled, slipping his hands into his pants pockets, looking completely unaffected by the ferocity of her words. "I've never gotten that one before."

"I am not interested in you." Maya growled. "You're repulsive. You disgust me with every fiber of my being."

She knew she was supposed to _seduce_ him at some point, not antagonize him, but she just couldn't help herself. He was terrible! He didn't need to be knocked down just a peg; he needed to be hammered to the fucking core of the Earth.

"Right. Whatever you say." He said smugly, a brow raised skeptically, "Shall we continue on with this tour then?"

He left the sitting room without waiting for her response, leaving it up to her to decide to follow him. She growled under her breath and dragged her feet after him, keeping at least a three person's distance between them at all times and wondering if Layla would still be Katy's friend if Maya strangled her son.

He pissed her off so much.

This guy probably thought he had every single girl wrapped around his pinky finger. Was he really that full of himself and vain? How the hell had he managed to turn out this way? His mom seemed nice enough. And she was pretty friendly, but Lucas was straight up _ass_. How was it that some children turned out nothing like their parents when they were raised by them their whole lives?

Sure, maybe she herself was a bad example since she had nothing in common with her mother either, but at least she liked to think she'd turned out alright (well except for her fucking big mouth and pride).

She followed Lucas around the main floor as he showed her the piano room, the lounge, the art room (where Maya had almost salivated in excitement), and various other rooms, giving small explanations about each one. Then he took her downstairs to the completed basement with their mini home theater, a game room, and party room. There was a fully stocked bar with all kinds of fancy (and hella expensive!) liquors in the party room that looked pretty legit, and Maya stared at the stilled disco ball on the ceiling and the stage in the front and the LED dance floor that looked like it had to be thousands of dollars to install.

"What the fuck is all this for?"

"My mom throws a lot of parties. We've had weddings here a few times." He shrugged, like it was just an everyday occurrence for him.

Maya gave him a blank look, seriously wondering if he thought that was a _normal_ thing.

"Would you like to see the backyard?" he asked boredly, texting on his phone.

Maya shrugged, and they walked further through the basement where they ended up in a small billiards room, decorated with comfy chairs and a mini bar. There was a dart board attached to the wall next to a taxidermy head of a deer. The carpet was plush and red and added to the whole old time feel of the room. It seemed like the kind of room where one would smoke cigars and wear lush bathrobes while playing pool.

But none of that caught her interest. The _table_ did.

"Holy shit." Maya muttered, running her fingers across the carved wood of the billiards table, "Is this a Brassey?"

Those things were damn expensive. And this one was definitely authentic. The cut of the wood was genuinely Heiron and Smith. The value for this had to be above ten thousand. She'd only seen one in her lifetime before because it wasn't common to find them in any households or bars where she was from, so she couldn't help but feel a bit of excitement. She almost took her phone out of her bag to snap a picture of the table intending to send it to her dad (ex-dad really), but she stopped herself, remembering most all their contact had been cut and really, she got the feeling he wanted nothing to do with them anymore.

Lucas gave her a look. "You play pool?"

She'd spent a lot of time playing pool with her dad whenever they would travel to random different cities and places. It became something of an unspoken tradition to learn about the tables, their value on the market and mentally categorize which ones made for the most fantastic games. Maya especially liked observing the contours of the wood, looking at the simplistic but artistic way with which these carvers crafted their billiard tables. It was art in and of itself. She'd gotten quite good at recognizing the design of tables on sight and who had crafted it (and quite good at the game itself, if she did say so herself).

But as far as she was concerned, Lucas Friar didn't need to know shit about her past. Or shit about _her_ really.

"Not really." She averted her gaze, removing her hand from the wood. "Show me the backyard."

They continued on their way after that. He guided her out of the billiards room to what seemed like a lounge room with large windows, a big screen TV and plenty of couches. He opened the glass doors, which lead to a small cobblestone exterior with lounging chairs, tables, and umbrellas and they walked past the sitting area and down a set of stone steps to a small trench.

And there was the giant fucking pool.

Maya stared at the glistening, crystal blue water in the pool, rippling softly in the light wind. It looked immaculate, and Maya mentally memorized the image because she'd never seen such refreshing looking water in a pool. Drawing water the way it looked in this pool would be her ultimate goal.

On a small raised platform on the edge of the pool was a Jacuzzi that looked like a mini pool on its own. And behind that? A huge backyard that looked like it went on for miles. In the backyard was a little pathway that led to a manmade pond. And in the distance, there was a guest house. It looked like a mini version of the Friar household, standing at the size of _Maya's_ house. Their guest house was the size of Maya's frickin' house. She was honestly a combination of shocked and impressed by the entire property.

"The interior of our guest house is being remodeled, but usually, we'll have renters use it over the year." Lucas finished out his little explanation, looking like he'd rather be anywhere than there at the moment. "And that's the end of the tour."

"Hmm…" Maya said, already getting her guard up in case he tried anything funny again. Now that he wasn't showing her around, there was no guarantee he wouldn't bother her again like he had earlier.

"Hey Lucas?" Layla called out from above them.

Maya glanced up and noticed Layla leaning over the banister of the upper patio, staring down at them with a smile.

"Ya'll wanna come up now? Dinner's served."

"Yeah. We'll be up in a sec." he responded before turning to Maya. She bristled and took a slight step back from him. Lucas smirked but otherwise didn't react much to her involuntary reaction. "Stairs are this way, Miss Hart."

It was all he said before turning to head back into the house. And once again, it was on Maya to decide whether to follow him or not.

Okay so she'd survived the tour for the most part. Now all she had to do was get through dinner and whatever came afterward without wanting to strangle him and all would be well.

Just because some crazy shit had been happening all day didn't mean that the rest of the day would be shit too. She desperately wanted to believe that.

But she had a feeling that somehow, worse was yet to come.


	5. It Is So On

**A/N: Apologies! This was long overdue :) The site is back to normal now though, and I'm done with my nap so here's the next chapter :3 (Once again I apologize for being so late to respond! I'm officially behind and frazzled af!)  
**

 **It's a little unrevised. I'm sorry!**

 **Thank you for your patience with me and for the kind reviews! I'm glad this story isn't totally OOC to you! Thanks for being the lovely people you are! :3  
**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own GMW or the characters, but shit... if I did... You guys better run... ヽ(￣д￣;)ノ=3=3=3**

* * *

It was very obvious to Maya that by the end of dinner now, both Layla and Katy were definitely tipsy. She didn't know how much they'd been drinking (or whether all they'd drunk _was_ wine. She suspected no), but they were laughing at jokes they cracked to each other and had goofy, loopy smiles on their faces.

And that honestly worried Maya. Because her mom was pretty embarrassing on the regular. But her mom with a little alcohol in her system?

Let's just say Katy's filter was nonexistent.

And when Katy's filter was nonexistent, embarrassing mom moments were sure to follow aplenty.

Maya sighed and picked up her water, staring at the backyard that the patio overlooked. It was a gorgeous view and now that the sun was setting, the mélange of purple and blue with a hint of orange on the horizon made the sky look impossibly beautiful. The view from here was absolutely beautiful, and she supposed despite how tense she had felt during dinner, staring into the distance was pretty nice. And despite the asswipe who lived here, this house really had some of the best sites and inspirations and muses to draw.

"…But Maya does like art quite a bit!" Katy said to Layla and Lucas, and Maya refocused on the conversation in alarm when she heard her name. "It was around middle school when she started to take it seriously."

"Is that so, Maya?" Layla asked her with a smile, "I've got a couple more art rooms and pieces in some upstairs rooms and hallways. If you ever would like to come over to see them all, my home is open to you, darlin'."

"Thanks. That would be great." Maya said congenially, though she glanced at Lucas in annoyance. _If your ass of a son didn't live in this house._

"And she's very good!" Katy gushed proudly, reaching over to Maya to smooth down the back of her tangled hair, "She entered some prestigious MOMA art competition last year and won first prize. She was nominated as a finalist for an internship during college. She just has to turn in an application piece in February."

"I'm not that good." Maya said, giving her mom a look to cut it out. She was getting too talkative about her.

"I'd love to see some of your pieces one day." Layla said excitedly, "I've always loved art. Never had the talent for it, but I appreciate it nonetheless."

Maya figured. Her house was immaculately decorated, and she had great taste in home décor.

"Maybe one day." she said, taking a sip of her water. _Again, if your ass of a son didn't live here._

Layla turned to Katy, "So if Maya gets the internship, is the plan to let her attend NYU?"

"Well I'm not sure anymore." Katy said, "Originally that _was_ the plan, but after the whole fiasco with Josh and he—"

Maya's eyes widened and before another word could escape Katy's mouth, she slapped her hand over it, glaring at her furiously. Katy shut up with a squeak, blinking at Maya apologetically. But the damage had already been done. Layla and Lucas were both staring at her curiously, obviously intrigued by her slightly extreme reaction to the mention of the name.

"Josh?" Layla asked, setting her napkin on her plate.

Maya sighed uncomfortably, sliding her hand away from her mom's face and resting it on her lap. Great. She was stuck now.

"An ex."

"I'm sorry." Layla said sympathetically, "Was it recent?"

Maya nodded, her muscles tensing uncomfortably. Layla was genuinely nice, but it still didn't make Maya feel any better talking about this. And quite frankly, she didn't want to, especially not with Lucas sitting across from her, looking at her with a quirked brow.

"That's too bad." Layla crooned, putting her hand on Lucas' shoulder, "The same thing happened to Lucas. He just broke up with his most recent girlfriend."

Maya scoffed. " _Girlfriend_? Is that what you call them now these days?"

Lucas set his phone down, a small smirk on his face. "So I take it you've heard about me?"

"The whole school knows about you." She wasn't about to let him know that she had technically just found out that very day, but semantics. "Your vile reputation precedes you."

He said nothing, though his smirk grew. He looked _proud_ , like he was glad that he even had a reputation in the first place. For the thousandth time that evening, Maya found herself wondering what the fuck was wrong with him. She'd really messed up agreeing to the bet, because she knew now he was the type of person she would never _want_ to seduce. Now that she'd met him for real and gotten a real taste of who Lucas Friar was, she completely understood why asshole was the first thing Missy and Camille had mentioned about him.

"Well if it makes you feel better Maya," Layla said, staring between the two of them in slight confusion at the standoff, "You're very pretty. I'm sure whenever you're ready to jump back in the game, there will be plenty of fish in the sea for you.

"Thank you." Maya responded politely. "I hope so."

Lucas snorted, nonchalantly taking a sip of his water. Maya's eyes narrowed, and she glowered at him.

"What?"

"Nothing." He said simply, though his expression was anything but.

It was a mixture of mocking incredulity and pity and amusement all at once somehow, and it made her feel entirely belittled.

"You got something to say, _Lucas_?" Maya snarled, really feeling the urge to claw his face with her nails.

"Not at all." He shrugged, a smile playing on his lips.

Layla and Katy were staring at them both, absolutely befuddled. Maya knew she was being particularly hostile towards him, but he was really starting to bother her.

"You two seem to get along…" Layla drawled sarcastically.

Katy nodded, a frown on her face, "How did you two meet for you to be like this?"

"Not important."

"Maya sat on some gum." Lucas responded, and Maya fought the urge to kick him in the shins. His legs _were_ right across from hers. How hard would it be to just drive the front of her boot into his leg? "I informed her of it."

Katy looked at her consolingly. "Oh baby girl. You never told me that you sat on some gum. How did you get on through the day?"

"I had to leave class and change my pants. You know why? Because _he_ had to point it out to the entire world."

"Lucas that's awful." Layla scolded him, "Think about how hard it is for a new student to adjust. Apologize."

"I'm sorry for putting you in that situation, Miss Hart." Lucas said in a sincere tone, though his eyes were dancing in mirth. He clearly thought the whole thing was one big game. "It was never my intention to make you feel uncomfortable in any way. I hope you can accept my sincerest apologies."

"You know Katy," Layla said excitedly, "This reminds me of back when I was in high school! So there was this guy…"

Maya tuned her out, her eyes narrowed as she glared at Lucas. This butthead was having the time of his life fucking with her. What the hell did she ever do to him? Maya hadn't felt irritation this sharp since the day Josh had contacted her to let her know things were over between them. And it really bugged her how much of a jerk he was.

She was really starting to feel the pressure. Maya was beginning to think there was no way she would be able to seduce him. He was absolutely loathsome in the worst way possible. Just the thought of having to sleep with him made her sick to her stomach. She didn't want any part of him on her or touching her or _in_ her.

Maybe she should just call off the bet before things got too far.

Sure, she would look like a chicken, but Missy had told her there wouldn't be any hard feelings. And as much as Maya wanted to prove Lexi wrong and show her that she could easily handle the bet, it just wasn't enough of a motivating factor for her to sleep with an asshole. Correction: sleep with him _and_ have to make him want to stick around with her. And after this bet was done, she wanted nothing to do with him. So how the hell would that work out?

Katy let out a content sigh, wiping her eye of a tear after her laughter died down, "Layla, you're a mess."

"I know!" she said, and the two women fell into another small round of laughter.

Katy shook her head in amusement before turning to Maya who knew she was still steaming.

"Well, I suppose it's high time Maya and I got home. I have to get up early for work tomorrow. I need time to sleep off this buzz."

"Right." Layla said, smiling, "Though I wish you could stay, I totally understand! I'll walk you guys out."

They all pushed their chairs back and stood up from the table. Maya had never felt such all-encompassing relief pulse through her veins that this unfortunate event was finally over. She no longer had to be near Lucas. And the next time her mom came over at this place for dinner, she would just pretend she was too sick to come.

"Is there anything I can do to help with the clean up?" Katy asked.

"Oh don't worry about that. Lucas usually takes care of it all."

They left the back patio and walked back into the chilled air of the kitchen, and Maya mentally counted the seconds it would take for them to finally leave (and the seconds it would take before she could finally remove this dress and burn it. Not just because it was horrifying, but also because Lucas had put his hand on it. It was officially soiled).

Layla's cellphone rang, and she checked the caller ID. "Shoot. I need to take this. It's the office. Lucas, can you walk them out?"

Layla gave Katy and Maya both quick hugs. "I am so sorry about this! I would love to give you a proper goodbye, but it's urgent. Come back and visit us again sometime!"

She answered the call and scurried away down the hall.

Katy tossed Maya the keys to their car. "Could you drive us home?"

Maya nodded, and they followed Lucas as he took them back to the front door. When they were outside, Maya noticed that the tacky baby wee wee fountain was lit up with beautiful rainbow coloured lights now that the sky had darkened. The trickling water looked like it was glittering as it fell into the base of the fountain.

 _Rainbow coloured piss. How nice…_

"Tell your mom we really enjoyed being had over for dinner." Katy said congenially, turning to Lucas.

"The pleasure was all ours." Lucas replied softly, a charming smile on his face. "Thank you for gracing us with your presence."

Maya's nose wrinkled in disgust at the way he was clearly laying it on thick. Did he really think either of them was buying his little gentleman act? And was he hitting on her mom?! She glanced at Katy and was appalled to see her mother's eyes twinkling brightly in that starstruck way it did whenever Katy received a compliment from some guy. No doubt she was eating up this bullshit like chocolate.

Maya glared at her mom. "Mom you're drunk. Go to the car."

Lucas gently took Katy's hand, placing a light kiss on her knuckles, glancing up at her with slightly mischievous sea-foam eyes.

"Come back and visit us soon." He murmured against her knuckles.

"O-okay." Katy said, looking like she was absolutely swooning.

Maya rolled her eyes with a groan as her mom walked down the spiral steps to their car, holding the railing more tightly and giggling slightly when she almost tripped.

"Really?" She faced Lucas, her lip curled in disgust, "Hitting on my mom right in front of me?"

His alarming green gaze turned to her as he smirked, "I can't help it that your mom is a MILF."

"Did you really just say that you disgusting fuck?"

"What? Are you jealous?"

"Why the hell would I ever be jealous? I told you I'm not interested in you." Maya scoffed incredulously, "Besides, I'm way out of your league."

He let out a short bark of laughter, crossing his arms in front of his chest and looking her up and down in amusement.

"You, out of _my_ league? I'm pretty sure it's the other way around, Miss Hart."

"Yeah." Maya growled, jabbing a finger in his chest, "I'm out of your league. Because you're a piece of shit."

Lucas' grin grew, a nasty expression in his eyes that made the hair on Maya's neck rise a bit in alarm.

"You know, I really find it hard to believe that some guy was ever deluded into being your boyfriend." He said darkly, taking hold of her wrist in his hand to stop her and stepping closer to her.

"I'm a catch, asshole." Maya said, trying not to let her nerves show up on her face. He was just doing this on purpose to make her feel uncomfortable. If she didn't react, he wouldn't win.

"That so?" he said playfully, though his eyes were glinting sharply. "Because you seem like an uptight bitch to me."

Maya stiffened, stunned at hearing those words. She stared up at Lucas with narrowed eyes as he watched her impassively.

"A bitch. Really? _I_ seem like a bitch after reacting appropriately to all your harassment and you being a huge dick since school?"

"I call it like I see it. I mean, why else would Josh have dumped you? It's either that or you're terrible in bed."

 _That's it. You are so going to be at my feet._

He was goading her. She knew he was trying to get her riled up on purpose, but she wasn't going to give him the satisfaction. Oh no. She didn't have to react _right now_. She would play it off right now, because there was a much better way to get back at him. A much better way that she suddenly had the motivation for.

She grabbed his shirt with her free hand, pulling him down to her sharply so they were eye to eye. Lucas' eyes flared for a moment, the challenge in them unmistakable.

"Keep talking all you want, dick." Maya said deliberately slow, holding his gaze. "I don't care. You can kiss my ass."

 _You'll get what's coming to you._

Maya snatched her wrist out of his grasp after letting him go and stormed down the front steps to Lucas' loud, obnoxious laughter trailing behind her. She hopped into the driver's seat, flipping Lucas off as he waved derogatorily at them.

Maya started the engine before driving around the fountain and back down the cobblestone pathway to the street. She made the turn and then they were on their way home.

"You know how to get home?" Katy asked, her hand covering her eyes as she groaned slightly. She had cranked the passenger seat back and was laying against it tiredly. "The directions just need to be reversed."

"Yeah." Maya said through grit teeth.

Katy sheepishly peeked at Maya through her fingertips, looking entirely apologetic.

"Maya, baby girl, my angel cake, love of my life." She cooed, "I am so so so sorry. I hope you're not still mad at me. I honestly didn't mean to mention Josh! You know how I get when you get some drinks in me. It was an accident."

"Mom, it's fine."

"Please forgive me." she said earnestly, wringing her hands anxiously together, "I'll make it up to you, I promise."

"Mom, I forgive you. I'm not mad at you. Honestly."

And it was the truth. She wasn't mad at her mom. But _Lucas_ on the other hand…

"Alright." Katy said with a sigh of relief, turning her head towards Maya with a smile. She reached over and tucked some hair behind Maya's ear. "As long as we're cool. I only have you here. I can't have you mad at me. We always get along so well."

"Where is the lie." Maya joked. "I'm always mad at you about something or another…"

"Anyway, I really enjoyed dinner tonight. Layla is great. I think I've really found a friend to keep."

"Good for you, Mom." Maya said, genuinely happy for her, "I'm glad you have someone to chat with now."

"And we have so much in common. She also went through a messy divorce. And she's a single mom." Katy exclaimed.

"Mmhmm…" Maya responded, carefully turning onto another street and continuing on their way.

"And speaking of her single motherhood… Her son is terribly attractive, dontcha think? And his eyes are just _gorgeous_!" Katy said, nudging her suggestively with a wink, "I'm sixteen years too old for him, but you're his age. Why don't you—"

"I retract my forgiveness."

"Wait! What did I say?!"

"Here mom: sing." Maya said, turning up the radio to distract her mom. She didn't want to discuss the current bane of her existence. And she knew they were bound to if she let her mom continue speaking.

"Oooh! I love this song!" Katy started loudly singing along to the song playing on the radio.

Maya tuned out her mother's drunken warbling, her eyes narrowed as she sped down the street. She hadn't had any motivation to continue the bet before, but now she'd officially changed her mind.

She was going to get him back, that fucker.

She'd been passive about the bet and had even lost her nerve for a bit there, but now she was back and more motivated than ever to win this thing. Not because of Lexi's stupid car/naked confession bet or to show Lexi she wasn't scared of her. But because Lucas Friar was a terrible person who needed to be taught a lesson.

Her grip on the wheel tightened until she knew her knuckles were turning white.

She was going to make his life living hell.

She'd find out what made him tick and ruin his life.

She would seduce the hell out of him to the point where he couldn't live without her.

And after he fell for her, she was going to make him wish he were dead.

Lucas Friar just fucked with the wrong damn Hart.


	6. Step One: Get On His Radar

**A/N: Hooray for c** **lichés! I wrote out about ten chapters worth of full notes for this, and I am so excited. Things are going to get crazy ;3 (I know it's a slow introduction, but trust me, it's better this way ;P)  
**

 **Thank you for being so sweet! I am very thankful for the reviews you have given me. It means the world and I am so happy that you guys are enjoying this story. :3  
**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own GMW or the characters, but shit... if I did... You guys better run... ヽ(￣д￣;)ノ=3=3=3**

* * *

 **To:** "Honey"

 **From:** "Peaches"

 **Subject:** Re: how's texas peaches? (not how are the peaches in tx, but how is texas, peaches)

hey riles.

so remember how i told you there was nothing interesting going on? well, something interesting happened.

and not the good interesting.

well maybe the good interesting… depends on how you look at it. so i need you to send me any and all of those confiscated short skirts that your dad has forbidden you to ever wear. i'm going to need them. and i'm not exaggerating. i mean all of them.

but before i get to that:

that's why you haven't been answering my texts? your phone got taken away? and on another note: your dad grounded you for going to a college frat party even though farks was with you? and on _another_ other note:  YOU WENT TO A COLLEGE FRAT PARTY AND DIDN'T TELL ME? who's this guy you met? was he cute? c'mon. spill the deets. you can't just tell me you met someone and leave it at that. what's his name so i can try to figure out this guy's social security number and track him down and do a full background check to see if he's even worthy of you.

(but your dad really is being a nut for taking your phone away. how the hell are we supposed to communicate late at night when we should be sleeping because we have to go to school early in the morning?!)

riley, i love you so much. thank you for sending those photos in the mail. it really does remind me of the good times. i'll put them up on my bedroom wall if i ever get to cleaning my room (or setting it up in general really). and i'm happy you liked the yellow cowboy boots. they just screamed _Riley Matthews_. and farkle can refuse to wear the ones i bought him all he wants. it's inevitable. they'll grow on him and he'll wear them anyway.

to answer your other question: camille is the one who talks a mile a minute. missy is the journalist one. i think you two could really get along. she's kind of odd in some ways. pretty outgoing. bubbly. sound familiar?

actually there's one more girl who eats with us at lunch. so i guess i've made three friends? well, more like two and half... it's hard to tell if she likes me or not. she's not exactly friendly, but it doesn't seem like she hates me either. i don't know how to describe it. (and yes, she is a bitch).

proud of me for making friends?

josh won't tell you anything either? i figured...

i guess the hardest part is that i thought we had something special and it just kind of seems like he's thrown it all away… maybe you're right… maybe i should just let it go for now, keep away from the situation, focus on my life here and then maybe things will make sense eventually. i just… i just really wanted some real closure you know. when you talk to him next, could you please just ask him? could you please ask him to at least give me some kind of closure? i won't be able to move on without it.

and now the _interesting_ thing:

remember the school asshole i was telling you about? mr. tall, dreamy, and fuckable dickhead? ummm, don't freak out, but i kind of made a bet a couple days ago that i have to fuck him in a month or i have to get up on stage in front of the whole school and strip naked and i have this crazy plan that i'm executing starting today to seduce him. that's why i need your short skirts.

so yeah. _that_ happened.

k bye!

love you always my honey,

peaches

 _(sent 8:12am 10/12)_

* * *

Maya knew that if she wanted her seduction plan to be successful, she had to get into his head. She had to get into his head, play mind games with him, and then leave him devastated when she left.

Guys always loved a chase. A girl they couldn't have.

And in the case of Lucas Friar, everything was pretty much handed to him on a silver platter in one way or another. But he wasn't just some spoiled brat. He was intelligent. He had common sense. He was actually charming when he wanted to be. He wasn't your typical brainless, horny teenage boy (although Maya would never admit that out loud). And if Maya wanted to get into his head, she had to think like him. Figure out what attracted him. What made him choose to pursue a target.

So Maya spent a couple days observing Lucas and his "toys" (a term Camille had affectionately dubbed the girls who fell for his charms… and into his bed).

Lucas found himself a new target within a day of ending things with that girl Maya had seen him making out against his truck with (Maya had found out that her name was apparently Violet and he'd ended whatever thing they had going on when she wanted to be his girlfriend). His new toy was some junior named Nikki.

Maya was pretty impressed. Nikki was lovely. A full-blown glamour girl in the making. Gorgeous brown locks, long limbs, decent rack, a pretty damn cute smile and laugh. The works. How the asshole had managed to snag someone so nice was beyond her. But no doubt, he was only interested in her because he wanted to fuck her.

What a prick.

But she got the picture.

Lucas, like pretty much every guy she'd ever known, seemed to be a fan of a hot girl. Something that Maya never categorized herself as. She was sure she had looks, but the way she dressed didn't exactly flatter that. Which meant she had to change her wardrobe. She'd never taken much stock in her appearance, preferring her ripped jeans, leather jackets and band tees over short skirts, cute tops and heels, but she'd have to change that if she wanted to capture his interest the right way.

Maya had only ever done this 'change the way she dressed' thing to an extent once in her life. When she'd had a crush on Josh, as an older guy, she had wanted to impress him, so she'd worn frilly dresses and tops for a while, trying to seem sweet and gentle. Thanks to Riley's interference, he'd finally stopped seeing her as the best friend of his little sister and had been nice enough to ask her on a pity date. They'd really hit it off after that and started dating shortly after, only growing closer as time went on, but Maya knew if it hadn't been for Riley getting Josh to realize Maya had a crush on him, he probably would have never taken her out.

Which she knew meant that she hadn't succeeded in capturing his interest with her change in style at all. In fact, she had failed.

So she knew she would definitely have to up her game. The stakes were higher, the challenge tougher, and she'd have to take extreme measures now more than ever because clearly Lucas Friar was not just a brainless sex crazed high school student. He seemed a little too smart and too in control to fall for a halfhearted attempt to seduce him. He was shrewd and calculating and deliberate in everything he did. And she'd already gotten off on the wrong foot with him so she would have to work twice as hard.

But that only made her even more determined to break him down.

Maya hadn't grown much since her early high school days, but she'd filled out quite a bit as the years had gone by. Riley had shot up like a tree, staying somewhat lanky and mostly trim, so her clothes tended to be a little tight on Maya sometimes. Which was perfect. She was planning on going out shopping with her mother over the weekend to get more clothes to switch up her wardrobe and add to her small collection of sexy girly clothing. Maya had some stuff of Riley's that she never gave back that would work for that day and she owned a couple pairs of heels, but she needed more if she was going to seriously commit. Plus, they would serve her solidified purpose of her change in style better.

And her purpose was:

In order to get Lucas to want to fuck her, he had to be sexually attracted to her, which meant he had to be physically attracted to her which meant she had to show off some of her physical attributes in order for him to be interested in the first place.

She was on Lucas' radar now. Not exactly in the right way, but still, on his radar nonetheless. So now she had to change the way he saw her. From frou frou dress wearing Maya with gum stuck on her ass, to sexy Maya who he would consider fucking.

Which is why she had marked that Friday on her calendar as her rebirth in this school. She would brand her image in his mind, make him curious, and then show up on Monday ready to tackle this plan for real. She was sleeping over at Missy's house that evening to get some info about Lucas and run her plan by her.

"I can't believe you're actually changing your style for good! Look at your hair! I love how you curled it. It looks amazing." Katy gushed, turning into the drop off lane of the high school, "I thought it was strange that you suddenly wanted to shop for more girly clothing, but I'm just happy that you finally want my expertise. Who am I to question it?"

"Right…" Maya muttered, holding back her comment on the reason _why_ she'd suddenly made the change.

"Oooh! We're going to have so much fun shopping, baby girl. I love that you're retiring those tattered baggy clothes and wearing stuff that fits your great figure." Katy tittered happily, "I mean, you look great in everything you wear, but you've got such nice hips that I don't have—must be from your first daddy's side of the family—and these skirts are just perfect for showcasing that! And you have nice, toned legs that look great in heels! I can't wait!"

Maya rolled her eyes but smiled. Her mother always fangirled over the stupidest thing. But it would be nice bonding with her mother over clothes, even if her reasons for wanting the girly clothes weren't exactly sincere.

Katy stopped in front of the curb, and Maya swallowed thickly, staring out the window, just a little hesitant. There were a lot of students hanging out in the front of the school. She was a little nervous to be honest. Her actual first day of school the week before hadn't even been this nervewracking, but that was because she had wanted to blend in with the background and not be noticed at all. But now she _needed_ to be noticed. And it felt pretty intense.

"Hey, I'm sleeping over at a friend's house tonight, Mom, so don't wait up." Maya said, "I'll be back home tomorrow. Then we can do our shopping on Sunday."

"Alright." Katy said, tucking some hair behind her ear, "Hopefully when you get back tomorrow, I'll have the TV set up. Want to watch some Saturday nights chick flicks? Like old times when it was just you and me?"

"Sure, Mom." Maya smiled, leaning over and kissing her cheek. "I'll see you tomorrow."

"Have a good day at school, baby girl."

Maya mentally braced herself before opening the door and stepping out of the car, being careful not to give everyone a glimpse of her panties under the dangerously short and tight skirt she was wearing. (How the hell had Riley even managed to buy this thing in the first place without her parents noticing?!)

Maya shut the car door and waved as Katy drove off. Then she let out a long, slow breath and slung the strap of her messenger bag further on her shoulder.

 _Here we go. Now or never, Maya. Let's get this shit over with._

Maya spun around and steeled her face to an indifferent expression, lips slightly pursed, an eyebrow cocked in challenge. Standoffish, stubborn, and sexy. The three S's to ensure her success. She sauntered towards the front door of the school, knowing she was commanding attention with the way people were turning to stare at her, no doubt wondering who the hell she was. It was almost hilarious, the confused and intrigued expressions on their faces. It was amazing how one little makeover could turn her from a fly on the wall to someone people wanted to know.

Missy suddenly came out of nowhere and matched her stride to Maya's as they walked inside the school and headed towards the hallway with the senior lockers.

" _Wow_. Took me a second to recognize you. Who are you, and what have you done to the Maya Hart I met on Tuesday?"

"I'm the same old me." Maya said with a smirk, "Just a me on a mission to seduce the fuck out of an asshole."

"Who knew you were actually attractive under all the paint and charcoal smudges." Missy teased. "Did the fairy godmother work her magic on you? You have killer legs, by the way."

"Thank you." Maya said smugly, flipping her hair over her shoulder as Missy laughed at her theatrics, "I'm hoping Lucas thinks so too."

"You're like barely in dress code." Missy laughed as she watched a guy stare at Maya as he walked by, not paying attention and almost running into the wall. "You'll be sending freshmen to cold showers for months."

"I'll take that as a compliment." Maya said with a cat like grin.

They rounded the corner, and Maya's eyes narrowed as her gaze fell on the source of her ire. Lucas had one arm leaning against the lockers, very obviously flirting with a giggling Nikki. His other friends were just chilling in the area, chatting before the bell for homeroom rang. And he was in the way of her locker.

She made her way over to them, head held high and eyes blazing as she glowered at him. Missy followed her, an excited grin on her face at the prospective confrontation.

"Hey. _Huckleberry_." Maya snapped, once she was next to them. "You're in the way of my locker. Move your ass."

The teens chattering in the area quieted, staring at her in slight shock. No doubt they were wondering who the hell this girl was who had approached Lucas like she just didn't give two shits for his reputation. Missy's eyes were wide in surprise, her jaw slightly slackened, delighted by Maya's complete disregard for any of the norms in the school.

Lucas slowly turned his head, the expression on his face a mixture of amusement and something a little dangerous as his gaze fell on her. His eyes traveled down her body, lingering on her legs for a moment before he met her gaze once again. Other than the slight rise of an eyebrow, he didn't have much of a visible reaction, so she couldn't gauge what he could possibly have been thinking. But she knew he had definitely just checked her out.

 _Score: Maya-1; Lucas-0. I'm so winning this thing._

She cocked her hip, propping a hand on it impatiently when he neither moved nor said a word.

"My locker?" she snarked, her voice sugary sweet, "Think you could move?"

A smirk formed on his lips as he stepped aside. "Sorry, _Shortstack_."

Maya knew she had his attention, but she ignored his intrigued stare as she banged her locker harshly once and it flung open. She gathered her books, tossed the rest of her shit in and then slammed the locker shut, all while pretending none of the silently staring people existed. Then she looped an arm with Missy's and tugged her away from the scene, completely conscious that she had just set into motion a chain of events that she hoped would result in her victory.

She released a sigh in her mind knowing officially she could never go back to invisible Maya. Not after that confrontation.

Shit was real now.

~.~.~

By lunchtime, Maya was pretty sure everyone in the school was aware of her new look. She'd been getting looks every class period, every time she walked in the hallways, every time she made a quick locker run. She didn't even think she was that hot. But she definitely suspected it was the sudden change from combat boots and torn leather to pumps and tight clothing on an entire other side of the clothing spectrum that made the change so arrestive.

And Maya would be lying if she said she was embarrassed. It was kind of invigorating; kind of empowering. And quite frankly, she didn't give a shit about what she looked like in the eyes of the students at this place anyway because she'd never see any of these people again in ten months.

As Maya walked over to Missy's lunch table, she passed by the table of popular assholes. A few of the guys wolf whistled at her, one guy in particular making a rather obscene gesture at her with his tongue flicking in between the v he made with his pointer and middle finger. She ignored them all, slowly running a hand through her hair as she casually flipped them off. She had her eyes on only one guy. And she was going to get him.

She glanced at Lucas as she passed by. Green eyes were watching her like he couldn't quite figure her out, and Maya smiled to herself at the amusing turn of events. This was only the beginning. If Lucas was confused right now, wait until she put her plan in full effect. He'd be _on his knees_.

"Maya!" Camille tittered excitedly as Maya sat down in her usual seat next to Missy. "You're the talk of the school right now!"

"So check this out." Missy said playfully, splaying her hands on the table. "It's spreading like fire around the school that, get this: the new girl is actually smoking hot. I repeat, the new girl is actually smoking hot."

Maya was also pretty sure people knew she was going after Lucas. After all, no one who wasn't his friend just up and spoke to him out of nowhere. Nor did they call him by stupid nicknames. He was admired as king of the school, but he was also someone she noticed people stayed away from as well. Maya rolled her eyes good-naturedly, finding all the attention amusing, but in some ways, a little irritating. Did people not have better things to do than obsess about a student's sudden makeover?

"Good job changing up your image, Maya." Lexi said snidely, filing her nails in boredom, "But the goal is screw _Lucas_. Not every guy in the whole school."

"Thanks for your concern, Lexi." Maya said sharply, her voice dripping in honey, "But just because I'm wearing a short skirt doesn't mean I'm trying to fuck every guy here."

"Mmhmm…" Lexi sneered. "We'll see."

Maya narrowed her eyes in annoyance. What the hell did she even mean by that?

"Anyway, if you two are done bonding over your mutual dislike for each other…" Maya and Lexi shot Camille irritated looks and she laughed, lifting her hands up in surrender. "Can we please talk about the fact that Maya is so kicking ass with that outfit! You better be careful, Lexi. Looks like she's serious about winning this bet."

" _Puh-lease_." Lexi said with a scoff as she looked at Maya, "It'll take a lot more than some cleavage and a lot of leg to make him want her. And the easier she looks, the less likely he'll consider her as more than just a quick fuck. She's digging herself into a hole."

"Hey, Lexi?" Maya said with a sneer, "How would you like me to rip off your obvious hair extensions and force feed them to you?"

Lexi's expression darkened furiously. "These are _not_ hair extensions, you bitch."

"Okay!" Missy said, rolling her eyes to the sky, "Tensions are high at this table so let's all calm ourselves and tone it down a bit. Can we spend one lunch period without you guys at each other's throats? Please? Just one. That's all I ask."

And then Missy gasped and ducked her head down, her face slightly covered by her hair when someone from Lucas' table stood up and walked over to them. Maya recognized him as Billy Ross. He was in her English course and seemed sensible enough. But he was friends with Lucas, so she wasn't really sure what to think about him.

"Missy." Billy said, setting a handful of notes on the table next to her. "Thanks for letting me borrow your Calc notes. I would have totally failed the test if it weren't for you."

"Oh y-yeah. Sure." She said quickly, her gaze still on the table. "It's no problem…"

Maya stared at Missy, surprised that the usually confident and outspoken girl was looking pretty bashful and self-conscious. Was she blushing?

"I'll see you around?"

"Uh, I guess…" Missy looked up through her bangs at him, the blush on her cheeks a bit more pronounced when he smiled.

As Maya watched Billy leave to head back to his table, she was suddenly reminded of herself as a doe eyed little freshman with a huge crush on Josh. How she had blushed and almost tripped over herself anytime he smiled at her.

Things were so different now.

 _"I call it like I see it. I mean, why else would Josh have dumped you? It's either that or you're terrible in bed."_

Maya's eyes narrowed as she watched Lucas from across the lunchroom, Nikki straddling his lap and his hands on her ass as they languidly made out. She would have so much fun breaking him.

 _Just you wait Lucas Friar. There's a storm coming by the name of Maya Hart._

And he would have no idea what hit him.


	7. The Right Way

**A/N: Okay I come back from mini vacation and now I'm completely behind in everything now ahahaha xD I will be responding to everything soon!** **  
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 **Thank you for the reviews you lovely people! I'm happy you're enjoying Maya and her ploy to destroy Lucas ahahah :3  
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 **Disclaimer: I do not own GMW or the characters, but shit... if I did... You guys better run... ヽ(￣д￣;)ノ=3=3=3**

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Maya chewed on the end of her pen, ignoring the looks her chemistry lab bench partner, Todd, had been giving her all class. He slid her a folded note with his number, she presumed, but she ignored it, snubbing him. What an absolute tool. He hadn't said a word to her since she'd moved to town and become his lab partner, preferring to flirt with the girls behind them at every turn of the second, but all of a sudden, Maya changed her look and he was all over her, literally trying to start conversations every minute.

"Hey." He grinned, "You free this afternoon? Let me take you out."

"Not interested…" she said boredly, staring blankly out of the window beside her. "Get a clue, dumbass."

"C'mon, babe." He put an arm around her shoulders. "You don't have to pretend. I know you're dressing this way to get my attention."

Were all these students egomaniac morons or something?

"Sorry, Todd. I don't think you heard me properly." Maya said, shrugging off his arm. She spoke deliberately loud, catching the attention of everyone in their area. "I'm not interested in you or your package. The height of my heels is probably longer than the length of your microscopic dick. Come back when you actually have one to offer."

The people in the area started snorting and snickering, and Todd looked away, his face reddened from embarrassment. Maya sighed, facing the front once again and forcing herself to finish up the class and not leave early like she wanted to. It was only two more minutes of this hell and then she'd be home free

When the bell finally rang for the end of the last class of the day, Maya rose from her stool, trudging her way out of her chemistry classroom with the other students.

She sighed in annoyance, slightly disappointed because Lucas had decided to skip history for whatever reason that afternoon. It was the only course she had with him, and she had been planning to use it to catch his attention. She was sure she had surprised him earlier that morning and also at lunch, but she didn't feel confident that she'd left a striking enough image in his mind that would last the rest of the weekend.

"We still on for tonight?" Missy asked, popping out of nowhere and falling into step beside Maya as they walked towards the hall with their lockers. "Newspaper doesn't meet today so I was thinking we could totally get gelato at my favourite place before heading to my house. How do you feel about takeout for dinner? I know this _great_ place called Eastern Pearl that has, quite literally, the best sweet and sour shrimp you will ever put in your mouth. I'm talking _orgasmic_ good."

"Sure, why not."

Maya banged open her locker, rummaging through her bag for the books she would need for the weekend. Truth be told, she wasn't planning on doing any homework anyway. She only needed her sketchbook. But it wasn't in her bag. Nor did it seem to be in her locker.

Maya frowned as she thought about where she could have left it. Honestly, she hadn't taken it out all day, not feeling any strong urges to draw. She'd been a little preoccupied, rejecting advances and lewd propositions from the pervs of the school. But she did have art that day.

"Hey, Missy. I think I left my sketchbook in the art room." Maya said, slamming her locker shut, "I'm gonna go grab it really quickly."

"Alright then. Meet me in the back parking lot when you find it."

"Got it."

Maya rushed back through the halls, squeezing past barrages of walking students and annoying chatting groups of teens who wouldn't get the hell out of her way. She was still getting quite a handful of stares and gawking, but she ignored them completely this time, the initial excitement of the reactions having lost their appeal and now was just growing kind of old. Seriously. What was up with people obsessing with the fact that she'd changed her style. It wasn't that big of a deal.

Maya walked briskly to the art's hallway before walking to the classroom. She loved it in there, the scent of the oil paints. The acrylic paints. Watercolours, enamels. This art room was top notch and very well equipped. It was a sheer cry from her old high school, which had put some restrictions on the materials that could be purchased due to the fact that there were some budget cuts that had to be made for the good of the school. At least that was one good thing about this school that somewhat (kind of, sort of, but not really) made up for the fact that an asshole with an ego the size of… well _Texas,_ attended it. Either way, she wouldn't exactly mind going to Art Club every once in a while. She didn't want to grow particularly attached to anything in this school, but with facilities like the ones they had, there was no way she could resist.

But that still didn't mean she liked it at the school or anything.

When Maya walked into the art room, there was a guy in a black leather jacket chilling and leaning against the sill of an open window, smoking a cigarette and just letting the smoke trail backwards out into the afternoon heat. His eyes met hers as he took a long drag, letting the smoke trail slowly out of the corner of his mouth. He was pretty attractive. Dark eyes, dark hair, the whole brooding thing on lock.

"Aren't the sprinklers going to go off?" she asked.

It was a pretty risky thing to smoke in a classroom.

He shrugged in response. Maya decided ultimately she didn't care and walked slowly around the room, stooping slightly to see if she could find her sketchpad possibly somewhere on the floor.

"So I take it you're trying to get with Friar too?"

Preoccupied in her building trepidation from not finding her sketchbook, it took her a while to realize the guy had been talking to her. She straightened and turned to him, brushing hair out of her face when it fell in her eyes.

"Not particularly."

"I just couldn't help but notice your sudden change in attire from what you were wearing all this week and last week."

"And?" Maya cocked a brow in challenge. "So suddenly I decide to wear short skirts and show some tit, and you think it's because I'm trying to get into his pants?"

Although that _was_ true, she didn't like what he was insinuating. He was watching her somewhat disdainfully, like she was a disappointment or something like that. She didn't appreciate the look one bit. Who was he to judge her?

"You also spoke to him in the middle of the hall this morning." He pointed out, taking another long drag. "You know he's just going to screw you and toss you aside, right?"

Maya crossed her arms in front of her chest, feeling her irritation start to rise. "So now I can't even talk to a guy without wanting to fuck him? I'm talking to you too, aren't I? I'm not trying to fuck you."

"Not my point." He rolled his eyes. "I just didn't expect that from you. You didn't seem like that kind of girl interested in guys like Friar."

His statement hadn't been particularly bad, but the way he was watching her like he'd been completely wrong in the way he pegged her was pissing her off. What was with this clown? She didn't even know this guy. Who the hell did he think he was making comments like he knew her when they'd never said a word to each other? Hell, she'd never even seen him at the school until today.

" _What_ kind of girl do you mean exactly?" Maya snapped. "Because as far as I'm concerned, there's nothing wrong with being _any_ kind of girl. And quite frankly, I find it hilarious that you even think you know me in the least when we've never so much as spoken to each other before. You're really funny, you know that?"

"Whatever." He shook his head disdainfully, stubbing out his cigarette before tossing it out the window. "Don't say I didn't warn you when Friar breaks your heart."

"Oh believe me…" Maya growled darkly under her breath. "There won't be any broken Harts around here. I can't say the same thing for him though…"

He stared at her in surprise, his brows rising slightly when he came to hear her words. They stared at each other, Maya's eyes narrowed while he just watched her curiously. After a few more seconds of their standoff, he pushed off the window sill and walked over to her. He reached into his jacket and pulled out her sketchpad before dropping it in her hands.

"You were looking for this, right?" he said, "These are really nice. You should join Art Club."

Then he walked past her without another word, his footsteps fading as he left the classroom. Maya frowned in confusion, turning around and staring after the guy. Who the hell was he?

But she shook her head, ignoring the encounter and stuffing her sketchbook into her bag. This damn school was full of nuts, idiots, and crazy people. Why was she running into them all at once all of a sudden? She left the classroom, rushing on her way to meet Missy in the back parking lot. She swore, if she happened to run into one more annoying turd that day, she would break some shit.

And then she bumped into a firm chest as she rounded a corner.

And someone who smelled unbelievably good.

"Urgh… fuck my life."

"You clean up nice." Lucas said with a smirk, his gaze resting on her chest.

Was he looking down her shirt? Maya fought her urge to cringe in disgust.

"And you're just as much the creep as you always are."

"A creep?" Lucas stepped closer to her, bringing his gaze to hers in amusement. "All I did was comment on your change in clothing. What brought you to that conclusion?"

"Nikki? Really? How long before you get in her pants and then throw her out?"

He said nothing for a beat of silence, just contemplating her in slight suspicion.

"Are you sure you're not jealous, Shortstack?" There was a devious grin pulling up the corners of his lips. "Because if I didn't know any better, I'd say you were dressing this way for me."

"It's a good thing you don't know any better then." Maya snarked back, glaring up at him.

"Cute effort, darling." He ignored her comment completely, speaking belittlingly. "But sorry. I'd still be lowering my standards a lot. You're not my type."

Lucas was way too close. He had completely invaded her personal space, leaning into her, and he definitely knew, seeing as how he was watching her carefully to see her reactions to his behaviour. But if he thought she was going to back away and move like she had a few nights before, he had another think coming.

Instinct told her to gag or make some other disgusted comment about how she would rather eat shit than want to have sex with him, but she still didn't have his attention the right way. And it was pretty obvious that he thought this makeover of hers was a joke. She knew if she wanted to turn this thing around and officially break whatever goofy image he had of her, she would need to catch him off guard. One comment. She knew that was all it would take to shift his thoughts away and make him recognize that she _was_ his type. Because Maya Frickin' Hart was _everybody's_ damn type.

 _I'm going to mindfuck the fuck out of his fucking mind._

Maya took a step into him, sliding her hand up his chest and twisting her fingers into the buttons of his shirt. She pulled him slightly down, just close enough so that their lips were centimeters apart. Just close enough that they were eye to eye, until she was sure she was invading every single one of his senses.

"But see, that's where you're wrong, Ranger Rick. You're lying." Maya whispered lowly, gazing up at him steadfastly. "You haven't been able to take your eyes off me."

He didn't say a word, his eyes narrowing the slightest bit, and Maya felt triumph at the fact that she'd managed to render Lucas Friar momentarily speechless. In this game of seduction, she'd just snagged herself another point.

"Because you like what you see." She smirked. "Face it: you're attracted to me."

Then Maya stepped back and let go of his shirt, slowly smoothing out the small wrinkles she'd created, making sure her hands lingered on his chest when she was done. Lucas' gaze was a little dark as he stared down at her, his expression somewhat dangerous, and Maya felt a spark of excitement run down her back.

There was a lot of bravado in her words. A lot of grasping for straws in a way, but confidence was key in shaping what he thought, even if he didn't truly believe it. She had to confuse his thoughts. She'd planted the idea that he was attracted to her in his mind, and she had no doubt, he momentarily questioned if it was true. And judging by the way he wasn't saying a word, she believed it really was true.

"I _am_ your type now."

And then Maya took her hands off of his chest and walked past him before he could even get a word in or respond. She strutted down the hall, towards the back parking lot, heels clicking evenly on the tiles, hips swinging just a little more than was necessary. She knew he was watching her as she left. She could feel his eyes on her back.

And she loved it. This empowering feeling of having a hold on him.

He was so going to fall for her traps.

Missy was waiting in her car for her next to the curb, the sound of some pop radio station blasting through the rolled down windows. Maya opened the passenger door and plopped in, dropping her bag onto the floor of the car and smirking to herself.

"You found your sketchbook?" Missy asked, popping a stick of gum in her mouth as she fiddled with the station knob to find something different to listen to.

"Yeah."

"So what took you so long?"

"I'll tell you later." Maya tugged on her seatbelt as Missy drove off. "But it's good."

Maya smirked in pride, very pleased with herself. It _was_ good. In fact, it was great.

Because she was certain she'd succeeded in putting herself on his radar now.

The _right way_.


	8. It's Not That Simple

**A/N: School is starting soon for me again... So updates might be a little more spaced out now (or maybe less, depending on how much I procrastinate)** **  
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 **I appreciate the kind words everyone! Thank you for reading this story! I'm happy you are enjoying it! :3  
**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own GMW or the characters, but shit... if I did... You guys better run... ヽ(￣д￣;)ノ=3=3=3**

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"So?" Missy said, rolling onto her stomach and picking up a dumpling from the plastic dish, "I've waited long enough to ask. It's evening. What happened that had you grinning like the Cheshire Cat when you got in my car."

"I'll tell you." Maya responded, bringing her knees up to her chest and leaning against Missy's hot pink bedroom wall. "But only for an exchange."

"An exchange of what?" Missy asked, her eyes narrowed suspiciously, "Information?"

"Yeah." Maya nodded, "About Lucas. You told me you knew everything about everyone. And since Missy Bradford can't give me any information on him, I figured Missy The Journalist could… for a price."

"You know? You act all chill and nonchalant, but something tells me you are unbelievably calculating and cunning, and we have you pegged all wrong. And I fucking _love_ it."

"What can I say?" Maya slurped up some lo mein through her chopsticks. "Don't judge books by their cover."

"Alright, I like that exchange." Missy smirked. "What do you want to know?"

"I'm playing a dangerous game with severe consequences on unfamiliar territory." Maya replied, tugging out her sketchbook from her messenger bag beside her. "I did some recon myself and learned what I could from it, but there's only so much I can learn before I hit a wall. I need background information. I need some more dirt on Lucas. The more I know, the more I can more easily figure him out and read his dick personality. And by figure him out, I mean what makes him tick. I need leverage to have the advantage. Got anything at all?"

"Depends. Do you want the new or old stuff?"

Maya frowned. "Old stuff."

"Okay. So you don't know this because you're new, but Lucas used to be on our football team. He actually was pretty good."

"Let me guess." Maya said with a bored yawn, "He was quarterback."

"Right." Missy laughed.

Could this bozo get any more cliché?

"Anyway, he got kicked off mid-September and banned from the team."

"Why?"

"People keep thinking it's because he kept sleeping with opposing teams' cheerleaders." Missy grinned. "But what really happened was that Lucas got into a pretty bad fist fight with a member of an opposing team during one of the away games. Our school has a no-tolerance policy for violence on any sport's team, so they had no choice but to kick him off. It's such a shame. We had a real chance at playoffs this year, but that's not going to happen now. But rumour has it the guy said something about his mom and Lucas flipped a raging shit. He even bent one of the sideline benches during the fight. But I haven't been able to find out what was said yet. I'm working on it."

"That's the old stuff? That's dumb as fuck." Maya said. "I need something juicier than that. What else do you have? What's the new stuff?"

"Alright." Missy shrugged, the motion a little impeded by her position on the floor. "But you might not like what I have to tell you. It doesn't exactly help the purpose of your plan."

"That's fine. I want the information."

Missy sighed and sat up. "So you remember on Tuesday how you challenged me to find proof that he's maybe not as big an asshole as you think he is? I did a little digging on our school's resident asshole delinquent, something like a good school boy, playboy from people who went to the same school as him in junior high."

"And?" Maya said, not realizing she was holding her breath in anticipation.

"Apparently, the Lucas Friar we see today is not the same Lucas Friar people knew. He was always a little along the angry side, but for the most part he was a good kid and for the most part friendly. Sometime in late seventh grade, Lucas came to school super late—like, after lunch late—and he was seriously _pissed_ _off_. He was called to the principal's office to answer a phone call for him or something like that." Missy leaned in, her voice hushing conspiratorially as she told the story. "And then he went _berserk_ and trashed the classroom. He threw chairs and desks and flipped over tables and he punched a bunch of windows out and like broke all the computers in the classroom. The teacher had to set off the sprinklers to get him to stop but by that point, he'd already fucked up the room. And in his little tirade, someone had been walking outside when he hurled a desk out the window. She ended up with a fracture on her skull and needed like twenty three stitches for the injury to her head. And some of the shards of glass from the shattered window apparently got in her eye, and she needed surgery to get them removed. She spent the rest of the school year and most of the summer in the hospital."

Maya's eyes were wide in shock.

" _What the_ _fuck_? How was he not expelled?"

"He _was_ expelled. He moved about a week after the incident and went to a school in a different city in Texas. He came back to Austin in high school, but he was totally different. Still aggressive and violent on occasion, but an absolute fucking womanizer and obviously, an asshole. It's totally surprising. I've only been in school with him in high school so it was shocking to learn that."

Maya released the breath she hadn't realized she had been holding. What the fuck kind of shit was that? Did he have some sob story or something? She wasn't going to lie. The information she'd learned set a chill down her back. Lucas apparently was really dangerous.

But none of that information meant anything. It wouldn't help her get ahead in this battle.

"Who'd you ask to get that information from?" Maya teased. "Billy? Is that why you let him borrow your Calc notes?"

Maya had meant it as a joke, but Missy blushed so hard after her statement that Maya knew she had hit the nail on the head.

"Wow. You are so obvious." Maya laughed, popping a piece of shrimp in her mouth. "You're crushing so hard on Billy."

"Enough about that." Missy said in embarrassment, picking at a tattered edge of her bright pink Hello Kitty carpet. "What was the good thing that happened to you? And I want to hear what your plan is now that you've turned into Miss Legs For Miles Long."

"I ran into Lucas today, and he was being a dick as usual. But I'm pretty sure I made him think he's attracted to me."

"How'd you manage that?"

"Easy." Maya smirked. "Reverse psychology. He said I wasn't his type. I made him think he was by planting the idea in his mind. And now he is. And that's just the beginning."

"Damn girl. You're really taking this super seriously." Missy laughed, grabbing another dumpling. "So what's next then?"

Maya flipped her sketchbook to the page with her plan and tossed it over to Missy.

"It's a step by step plan. I got him to notice me. I made him physically attracted to me. Hence, the switch in clothes. I love my ripped jeans, but if I want this to work, I decided I needed to show a little more skin. So now he's seen me in barely there clothes. So I need to amp up his physical attraction and then make him want to be interested in me without _any_ of the clothes."

"Hmmm smart." Missy said, chewing on the edge of her chopstick and scrutinizing the page, "So what's SP?"

"Sexual prospect. Once I know he's _physically_ attracted, he needs to see me as a sexual prospect. Or a sexual human being. Someone he would want to fuck in the first place. So I have to seem like I do have meaningless sex."

"And how are you planning to do that?"

"Honestly, I haven't thought that far ahead. But I was thinking something along the lines of making out with someone else? In some risqué place? Where he can see? The point is that he has to think through this event that I'm going to have a fling with someone."

"Wow. You're pretty committed."

"I made a bet. And I want to win this bet and tear him down a notch."

"Okay. So it says 'Pervert' after that. What the hell does that mean?"

"Pervert his mind. Once he thinks I am promiscuous enough to have sex or thinks that I have regular sex, he needs to be thinking about me all the time. Thinking about sex with me all the time. I'm going to be a light tease. The 'fun' part." Maya said, her lip curled a bit in disgust, "And then comes the hard part."

"Leave him wanting more." Missy read off of the list.

"Leave him wanting more." Maya nodded. "I have to get a little physical if I want him to think _he_ wants to finish what _I_ started. Reverse psychology with physical prompting. So touching, maybe a little fooling around, but not enough to let him have his way. And when things start to get hot and heavy, I walk away."

"How do you know you'll be able to walk away? I've heard some pretty intense things about Lucas and his particular skill set."

"I'm not worried." Maya said. The only person she'd ever really loved was Josh. Fooling around with Lucas wasn't going to change that ever. "I have no attraction to Lucas Friar whatsoever. He may have physical looks, but he's a real shithead and his personality could use a lot of work."

"You're pretty confident about this whole plan."

"Of course I am."

"Yeah?" Missy said with a raised eyebrow, "Confident enough that you'll be able to walk away unscathed after your next step? Fuck Lucas Friar?"

"It's meaningless sex. With an asshole."

"A pretty sexy asshole with gorgeous eyes and an even more gorgeous body who has screwed a lot of girls and knows exactly what to do to mess with a girl's mind."

Maya shot her a look. "The point is, I'm not and never will be interested in him. So it won't mean a thing."

"Look. I know you're carrying yourself as confident and all that, but Maya, how much sex have you actually had?" Missy looked concerned. "You act like this is just day to day happenings for you, but we're pretty similar, you and me. I can't help but feel like you're kind of putting on airs and stretching the truth. So tell me the truth at least."

Maya sighed, nibbling absentmindedly on a noddle. "I had a boyfriend back in New York. We had sex a few times. And I love him still."

"Did you dump him?"

"Other way around." Maya said, "But like I said, the feelings haven't dissipated yet."

"But aren't you worried about the whole emotional attachment thing if you screw Lucas? You don't seem to have enough experience for you to be able to keep feelings out."

"I'm not worried. I can't stop thinking about Josh. So this thing with Lucas. It won't mean anything. I know it won't."

"If you're sure." Missy looked down at the sketchbook. "So how are you going to make him stay then? What happens after he gets what he wants from you?"

"You see, the thing about my plan is that at the 'fuck' stage, it can't be the end since I need him to keep me around. Guys love it when the girl absolutely raves about them. Ego and all that. So I just have to pretend like it was terrible, which I'm sure it will be. Maybe spread a couple rumours, make him think he's not hot shit anymore. With an ego like his, he won't be able to stand it. And he'll definitely set out to prove me wrong."

"And are you going to let him?"

"Of course I'm not." Maya snorted. "By this time, I'm sure it'll be the end of the month and the bet will have ended. The terms are to make him want to stay with me, in other words, want more by the end of the month. Which I'll have succeeded at technically."

"Nicely thought out." Missy's eyes were narrowed.

"Props accepted." Maya said with a smug smirk on her face. "And then brand new convertible for college."

"Mmhmm…" Missy said dryly, "And what happens if Lucas, i.e. the guy who can get any girl he wants with just a glance, decides you aren't worth his time? And then drops you like a bomb."

 _Fuck._

Maya glared at Missy. "Stop questioning my plan and pointing out these plot holes that I didn't think about properly before formulating it."

Missy laughed out loud, shaking her head in mirth. "Maya, I do a lot of planning for Newspaper Club as the editor in chief. And I'm used to picking apart articles to figure out what they're missing. And let me tell ya, your plan is missing something that is _crucial_ for your success."

"And what's that?"

"I can't tell you. That would be helping you."

"Oh c'mon Missy." Maya whined. "Just give me the tip."

"Alright, I'll tell you. But it's going to cost you free cupcakes from your mom's bakery for a month. Her Red Velvet Crème cupcakes are the best things I've ever had."

"That's not up to me. It's up to my mom." Maya said. "And she doesn't do free stuff."

"Guess this information isn't worth it to you then…" Missy singsonged, nonchalantly picking up some shrimp and popping it in her mouth.

"You're a deviant."

"Am I, Maya _Penelope_ Hart?"

Maya frowned. "How the hell did you know my middle name?"

"A magician never reveals her secrets."

Maya rolled her eyes. "Fine. I'll see if I can sneak them out of the bakery or something. So what's this crucial thing I'm missing?"

"In order for Lucas to keep you Maya, Lucas has to be interested in spending time with you."

"What?"

"Between the time you make him want you and the time you fuck him, you need him to get to know you. The more he knows about you, the less likely the sex with you will be a game. There is a reason why Lucas doesn't fuck girls he's friends with. Too much emotional risk involved. So you have to be an emotional risk in some way so he gets attached to you. Or you know, just a _really_ good lay. But I don't think you have the experience for that. So your whole antagonize the crap out of Lucas might work in your favour right now because it's enticing; you'll seem like a chase. But once the chase is over—i.e. when you fuck—Lucas needs to be tethered to you. He needs a reason to seek you out. Or he'll get bored."

Maya stared at her, absolutely appalled.

"So what are you saying? Please don't tell me you're saying what I think you're saying."

"I am, Maya." Missy said faux gravely, "I think you'll have to befriend him at some point."

" _Dammit_. I have to get to know this asshole?!"

"Sounds about right." Missy shrugged, looking entirely too amused for her own good.

"Urgh. I don't want to get to know him!"

"That's too bad. It's either that or lose the bet." Missy's brows furrowed. "Though there is another option. Keep screwing him until he develops an emotional attachment, but that has more risks involved, could take a much longer time and not to mention, you clearly look revolted by the idea of having to screw him _once_ , let alone multiple times."

"Fuck… this is way more trouble than it's worth."

"It's just something you should think about if you really want your plan to work. Because Lucas doesn't seem like the type to give a shit if some girl says something negative about him. This is the guy who got suspended sophomore year for having sex in the principal's office with a senior girl and accidentally turned on the intercom. He doesn't give a damn how people perceive him. And even if he does set out to prove you wrong, what do you think will happen exactly?"

"I run, he chases, I escape, I get a brand new car?" Maya said, growing a little scared by all of the errors Missy was pointing out that Maya had been relying on as her ticket to win the bet.

"Try: I run, he corners me, I fuck him again because he's a sex god, he wins, I fucked Janitor Harley."

"I really don't want to get to know him…" Maya groaned, slumping sideways onto the floor dejectedly. "He's revolting!"

"Well, look on the bright side. The more you learn about him, the more openings you'll find out about him, the bigger advantage." Missy snickered, sliding Maya's sketchbook back over to her. "But on the flip side, the more vulnerable you also become to him knowing more about you in turn."

"So this whole bet is lose-lose is what you're saying."

"Well." Missy said, laughing to herself, "At least there'll only be seven more months of school after everyone sees you naked on stage and then you don't have to see these people again."

"You suck."

Missy laughed, grabbing her remote to turn on her TV.

"I'm looking forward to the execution of your plan. Good luck, Maya."

She sure as hell would need it. Especially with this new dimension added.

Befriending Lucas?

God, she was so fucked.


	9. Enter: The Best Friend

**A/N: LOL the emails to Riley are kind of dopey, but they're actually there only so I can keep track of the date and summarize what's happening ahahahahaa x'D** **  
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 **Alright! Last filler chapter officially as a segue because after this... the fun _really_ begins ;D**

 **Thank you for the reviews! I'm happy you guys are having fun with this story! And thank you for the compliments and kind words! :3  
**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own GMW or the characters, but shit... if I did... You guys better run... ヽ(￣д￣;)ノ=3=3=3**

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 **To:** "Honey"

 **From:** "Peaches"

 **Subject:** Re: how's texas peaches? (not how are the peaches in tx, but how is texas, peaches)

you know what riley?

i think it's great that you're venturing out and taking a chance on some guy you met at a college fart party who was wasted and feeling you up and then tried to stick his hands down the front of your shorts.

...

notice the sarcasm?

did you really think i would think it's okay?

are you fucking kidding me right now? i am so glad farkle deleted that guy's number from your phone. you cannot go out with this guy. you don't know what he could be like and quite frankly, i think he's bad news. his interests obviously lie in the bumpin' uglies kind of things. and yes, while i do realize you want to meet guys, this is not the way to go, babe.

just listen to farkle and me. we're right. you need to calm down a bit with the multiple dating and wanting to meet guys thing and just wait it out. and the right guy will show up eventually. in the meantime, see farkle for his patented beverage and insta-hangover cure, aptly named The Farkle. he made it in chemistry class last year and it works wonders for a hangover.

and give me your dad's new phone number so i can keep spamming him every second to give you back your phone. i need to hear your voice to know that you're still alive!

no, lexi and i still don't really get along. it's okay though. i don't need everyone to like me riley. you're the likeable one remember? i'm not. but like i said, there's something odd with the way she speaks to me. like it's not from a place of hate? i don't know how to describe it, but she acts like she's fond of me even though she doesn't like me? if that makes sense at all… it's complicated. s _he's_ complicated…

and now that i've had the obligatory at least two weeks here, i can tell you more. i've seen people walking around in cowboy hats and lots of people wear cowboy boots, but surprisingly, it's not as extreme as i was expecting. i'm a little disappointed to be honest. but you know what _is_ everywhere?  PEACOCKS. i keep seeing them everywhere! in the school parking lot, in our yard, crossing streets, wandering around. honestly, i'm a little surprised. i'll send you some pics once you get your phone back. seeing them live and in person is pretty amazing, not gonna lie. and they're kind of cute, if you get past the fact that they peck at shiny things like student's cars (and they sometimes attack, which is hella funny).

sure, country accents and country music are aplenty, but honestly, it's not a whole other world that different from NYC. the traffic even seems to be the same sometimes.

but don't mistaken this as me liking the city. i still want out. especially now with this fucked up bet.

okay, look.

i'm sorry i didn't tell you about the bet earlier. it was because i was still formulating my full plan. but missy helped me figure everything out officially. here's my list of steps in a nutshell:

1\. catch his eye

2\. make him physically attracted to me

3\. make him sexually attracted to me

4\. be a tease

5\. make him lust after me

6\. befriend him - as in _pretend_ to be his friend, because i would never in a million years ever be interested in being his actual friend; he's probably as much of a douche bag as he behaves

7\. screw him

and then hopefully by the last step, the time limit will be up and i'll have won. i'll definitely keep you updated on new developments though.

and don't worry riley, everything is totally fine. yes, i have to associate with this asshole, and that's a serious downer, but i'm going to get a car out of it so it's fine. you might think it's a risky bet, but nothing is going to happen. for me, it's not that big a deal. i know i'm going to mop the floor with this bet.

and yes, while lucas _is_ fuckable (dare i say, _mister_ fuckable?), he's also revolting, so as long as i remember that when we're… fucking (literally crying a river here, riles), there won't be any problems.

so don't worry about lil' ole me mah dahlin'. i've got everything under control.

(you know what's funny? you and missy said the exact same things. you guys would get along really well).

love you always my honey,

peaches

 _(sent 2:38pm 10/14)_

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" _Maya_! I want to try on the dresses in this store." Katy said in excitement, peering into the window of the designer store with literal heart eyes.

"You do realize that you are the prime target of these types of stores, right? Doe eyed, young women who have never had the opportunity to invest in many luxurious items before but suddenly can. They lure you in with their designer goods and you get sucked into the vortex of their outrageous price tags and before you know it, you have to sell your car to make the house payment and then you can't make that demand so then you have to strip naked on a stage full of people and say you _fucked_ a janitor!"

Katy stared at Maya silently for a second in concern. "…I was literally just going to try on a couple dresses."

"That's how it starts, Mom." She said snippily, nervously picking at her fingernails.

"Are you okay, baby girl?"

"Just peachy." Maya lied, readjusting the shopping bags in her hand. "Listen, can I sit this store out? I'm gonna head to the food court. Meet me there when you're done so we can eat."

Katy was still watching Maya warily. "If you're sure… Do you want me to give you my card if you're that worried about me buying something expensive?"

"I'm good thanks."

"Alright. Just give me thirty minutes!"

Katy let out a little squeal and skipped into the expensive, obscure store in the mall and Maya sighed, making her way over to the food court. She was not okay. Since she'd gotten home yesterday afternoon, the only thing that was on her mind was how the hell she was supposed to start befriending Lucas if she had no idea how to talk to him without wanting to kick his ass.

They definitely didn't run in the same circles, and they most likely didn't have the same interests, and she very well couldn't just go up to him with a wide, goofy smile that rivaled even Riley's and say 'Hi, I'm Maya. You're really cute! We should hang out sometime."

No, she'd already made her bed as an antagonist and challenger in his life. And now she had to lie in it.

Maya sighed and slumped down at one of the tables of the food court, setting down her bags of goods on the ground. She couldn't think. Her mind was too jumbled to figure out how to slowly befriend the buffoon. It had taken her so long to come up with her plan in the first place and now there was this new dimension that had been added and she didn't know how to slide it in normally.

Why oh why was this shit getting more and more complicated with each passing day?

She was just on the verge of pulling out her phone to text Missy for help when someone suddenly yanked out the chair across from her, spun it around and plopped into it with a wide grin and a whirl of a really sharp, obnoxious cologne.

Maya stared at him in slight confusion and surprise.

She knew him. It was a guy named Zay, Lucas' best friend and right hand man. He was in her Chemistry course and exasperated his poor lab partner to the point where a typical experiment day was spent listening to the hilarious outcries of his partner calling Zay an imbecile and then hearing Zay say everything was all good and then hearing the sound of shattering glass.

"I know you." Zay said. "You're that chick from school who turned into an A list hottie overnight and now pretty much every guy is talking about fucking you."

"And you're that goofball friend of the biggest dick in the school who's always cracking jokes and doesn't know how to start normal conversations apparently." Maya rose a brow. "How ya doin'?"

He stared at her for a couple seconds before laughing out loud.

"I knew you would be interesting, new girl. Where are you from? New York?"

Maya nodded slowly, giving him a blank stare, wondering what the hell was wrong with him and utterly confused with what was going on. He had quite literally come out of nowhere.

"So tell it to me straight." Zay said. "Are you actually interested in Lucas? Because you seem different from the girls that Lucas usually goes after. Not a fake necessarily, but definitely not airheaded."

Right. He had been there when she spoke to Lucas on Friday morning. Regardless, it wasn't any of his business.

"Maybe I do want him." She said, picking at her fingernails. "What's it to ya?"

"You're funny, but I can read you like a book, honey." Zay snorted. "You're after _revenge_. I don't know what he did to you, new girl, but you're on a quest for vengeance. I just know it. Not to mention, you're wearing leather today. What happened to all the leg?"

 _Interesting._

Maya's lip quirked up in a smirk. "That easy to tell?"

"Not at all. I've just been friends with Lucas since we were little kids, and he's broken a lot of hearts in the past. Some unintentional." Zay leaned forward, resting his forearms on the table. "But I know what vengeance looks like. And you're not the first girl who's tried to get revenge on Lucas. Though I can't quite figure out your game…"

"So no one has succeeded yet, huh?"

"No."

"Cool. Looks like I'll be the first." Maya said smugly.

Zay was silent for another few beats, just curiously contemplating her before an amused grin broke out on his face.

"You know what? I like your determination, new girl."

"It's Maya. Maya Hart."

"Isaiah Babineaux." He proclaimed, spreading his arms out in front of him dramatically. "Everyone calls me Zay. Though I'm sure you already knew that."

Maya nodded. "You seem pretty cool. Chill. _Not_ a dick. How is it that you ended up being best friends with the worst person to ever exist on the planet earth?"

Zay laughed. "I get asked that a lot. But I don't know. Lucas just gets me. He's not that bad once you get to know him. He cares about the people who are important to him."

"But to everyone else, he just decides to treat like shit and use them as he pleases? Yeah okay." Maya scoffed, snorting derisively. "The world isn't his personal playground."

That was the second time someone had said something about Lucas not being who she assumed, but she'd spoken to him one on one—more than once at this point—and he'd been just as bad as the rumours claimed. She didn't believe that shit in the least.

"Alright, I guess I can see your point. But you can't see how protective Lucas can be because you're not friends with him."

Which unfortunately would have to be changed if she didn't want the entire school to see her naughty bits.

"Just watch out Maya. Lucas can act like a real asshole sometimes, but he grows on you and pretty damn fast. If your quest for vengeance involves getting closer to him, sexually or otherwise, you have to be careful because there's a reason why so many people fall for Lucas."

"Because they're attracted to 'bad boys' with revolting personalities? Thanks for the warning, Zay, but I'm good."

He laughed. "No, Maya. Because Lucas is caring and compassionate, even if he doesn't show it in a conventional way."

"Didn't your mother ever teach you lying is bad?" Maya drawled with narrowed eyes, "The amount of bullshit in your words is off the charts high. I'm appalled."

"Don't say I didn't warn you, beautiful." He singsonged playfully, "But I'm curious. You haven't been at this school for very long. What did Lucas possibly do to you for you to want revenge this badly? He isn't really the type to antagonize someone he doesn't know."

Maya stared at him, wondering if it was a good idea to tell him. Zay seemed like he could potentially have a big mouth. But then again, he wasn't giving her any vibes of treachery. And Maya was pretty good at reading people.

"It's a bet."

"A bet?" he asked in confusion, "What? You made a bet with Lucas?"

"Not quite. I did make a bet with someone." Maya smirked. "But Lucas is just a pawn to win the game."

Zay's eyes widened slightly.

"Holy shit. Did you make a seduction bet?"

"Bingo."

"Not trying to be rude or anything, but you don't have any screws loose do you?"

"All my screws are wound tightly." She responded.

"I think that's a matter of opinion, Maya." Zay cracked a grin. "You know you'll have your work cut out for you, right? Seducing Lucas is like trying to stick a dick up an asshole without lube. It doesn't work."

Maya gave him a dry look at his fairly obscene metaphor.

"I'm not worried."

"If you say so."

"I do."

"Alright then." Zay nodded, looking impressed, "You know what? I want to be updated on the progress of your bet."

Maya's eyes narrowed in suspicion. "Why would you want to? You know I'm trying to seduce your best friend, right? And then I'm going to drop him."

"I have my reasons." He said with a slightly mischievous smile, "And I think something challenging would be good for Lucas to go through. No one else has come close to fulfilling revenge, but I think you might have a shot."

"You're a weirdo, you know that?"

"Takes one to know one, sugar."

Maya snorted and rolled her eyes. "Alright. I'll keep you posted. But you're not going to tell him, are you? This plan is contingent on him _not_ knowing what's about to hit him."

"You wound me, Maya." He said with mock affront, his hands on his heart, "I would never dream of ruining such an ingenious plan!"

"Good. Because if you mess this up for me, I'm punting your ass through a wall."

"I think this is the start of a beautiful friendship." He reached out his hand.

Maya smirked as she shook his outstretched hand. "I guess so."

He smiled, standing up from the seat. "Alright then. See you on Monday. I look forward to seeing your show."

"I'll make it fantastic just for you."

"Peace, Hart."

He left and Maya sat there, a small smirk on her lips as she watched him go.

She'd been wondering how to slip into being Lucas' friend, but it looked like a solution had just dropped itself onto her lap.

Zay Babineaux had just given her the perfect in. Plus, he probably knew more about Lucas than anyone else. If she hung out with Zay, she'd definitely be forced to hang out with Lucas.

Her plan was coming together very nicely.

She was so ready for Monday to come.


	10. The Plot Thickens Again

**A/N: I got my boot off at last guys! I can wear two shoes again! YAY! (Watch me trip and fall and break something again though :/) And sorry about not updating yesterday! Truth is... I went to a fair and decided I didn't feel like updating yesterday :/ Apologies for that, but I was really just not feeling the writing.  
**

 **Anyway, the fun starts now. Ready? ;3  
**

 **Thank you for all of your sweet reviews! I honestly appreciate all the support and thank you for being understanding about school and my update times guys! You're all the best! :3  
**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own GMW or the characters, but shit... if I did... You guys better run... ヽ(￣д￣;)ノ=3=3=3**

* * *

 _Creak_ …

Maya groggily opened her eyes, looking around her room in confusion. This was the fourth time in a few minutes that she'd heard an odd creaking noise in the house. Rolling her eyes, she grabbed her blanket and tossed it over her head, burrowing herself further underneath it and deciding to disregard the noise once again. She had school in the morning and was trying to sleep but the noise was preventing her from doing just that.

Thinking about her foot in Lucas' face, she sighed happily and settled into her bed, her sleep creeping up on her finally.

 _Creak…_

And then the fairly loud creaking woke her up completely. This one had been a lot louder than the previous ones.

What the hell was that noise?

Maya grabbed her phone from the floor and peered blearily at the numbers on the screen. It wasn't even midnight yet. She'd barely gotten an hour of sleep. And now she definitely didn't want to try to go to sleep if the creaking was going to continue.

Annoyed as hell that her sleep had been ruined, she kicked the covers off of her and shot out of bed, her face set in a scowl as she left her room to go check the source of the noise. Out in the hallway, she could clearly tell the creaking was coming from downstairs. And it was _much_ louder. It sounded like the house was moving or something.

As she passed by her mom's bedroom, Katy stumbled out, her eyes wide and hair tangled all over her head. She looked a little dazed, like she was forcefully pulled from her sleep and was holding a plunger like a baseball bat in her hands.

"Mom, a plunger? Really?" Maya gave her a dry look.

"Don't underestimate a plunger, baby girl. Nobody likes shit in the face."

Maya snorted, and they carefully crept towards the kitchen stairs, taking quiet apprehensive steps.

"I think it's coming from the kitchen." Katy said.

They went down the stairs slowly. When they got to the kitchen, no one was there. It was empty; nothing seemed to be out of place. Katy flipped on the switch, throwing them into light, and Maya squinted as her eyes adjusted to the sudden brightness. The creaking noise erupted through the air once again, above their heads, and Maya glanced up.

Her brows lifted in surprise.

"Mom. Look. Part of the ceiling is drooping."

It was curved down in one fairly large section with a small, slowly growing crack through the plaster on the ceiling. The area surrounding the drooping part of the ceiling was darker than the rest of the ceiling.

"What the hell…" Katy said. "Is it growing?"

There was another unsettling creak followed by a soft crack as the ceiling formed a fissure. Clear liquid started spewing from the crack, hindered in its escape by the thinness.

Katy and Maya glanced at each other in alarm.

And then the ceiling suddenly broke, pieces of it flying to the ground as water spilled _everywhere_ out of the framework of the house. It gushed out, quickly spraying the table and most of the counter with water and flooded the floor.

Katy screamed, dropping the plunger and taking a giant hop back when they were almost splashed

"Holy crap!" Maya shouted over the noise, watching as the water filled up the kitchen, "What is going on?!"

"I don't know! I've never been a homeowner!"

"Mom, what the hell do we do?!"

"Uhhh…" Katy looked around frantically. "Stop the water? We can try to cover it up with a tarp."

Maya gave her a blank look, and Katy shrugged.

"Look I don't know. You come up with a suggestion!"

"Call a company!"

"What company is going to be open now?!"

"Okay, okay." Maya gripped her hair, grimacing when water pooled near their feet. This was bad. "Salvage anything you can then!"

There was another noise of plaster breaking and gush of water and with a start, Maya and Katy ran to the next room, realizing the living room ceiling and part of the wall was also leaking water as well.

"Maya! What do we do?"

"I don't know!"

This was ridiculous.

There was water everywhere. Streaming down the walls and flooding the floor. It smelled pretty terrible too. And it looked like a lot of their stuff was going to get ruined. And there was nothing they could do about it.

"Mom… We can't stay here through the night."

"I know, baby girl." Katy said, her brows knit in concern, "Who knows where else the water will come from? This isn't safe. For now, we need to get out. Run upstairs and grab whatever you need for tomorrow quickly. And grab something for me too. I'll pull our documents before they get soiled in this flood."

"Right!"

Maya rushed back to the kitchen stairs, splashing through the water and then racing up to the second floor. Part of her was scared the floors would burst and she would fall through it, but she hurried her ass up into her room. She dumped a bunch of clothes out of her suitcase and then stuffed it with some clothes for school and some shoes. Maya was so glad she still hadn't unpacked everything. Then she grabbed her school bag and packed her electronics in there before racing out of her room and heading to her mom's. Maya packed much the same stuff for her mom and then rushed downstairs.

"Mom! Is water still coming out?" She called out as she sped down the stairs.

Katy nodded, disconcerted, and staring at the hole with a frown. "This is crazy. What happened to make this happen?"

Maya handed Katy her cellphone. "Alright. I got your stuff. Let's get out of here before the whole house crumbles to the ground."

Maya followed Katy as she grabbed their keys, a roll of paper towels and yanked open the backdoor. They made a mad dash out, squealing a little when some of the water sprayed them as well. The little flood of water spilled out on the back patio as they left. Maya shut the door behind her and near hurdled over the garden tools and other knick knacks and moving boxes in their backyard. They ran to their car, hopping into the front seats and slamming the door, breathing heavily and using the paper towels to wipe the water off of themselves.

"So what now?"

"We find a place to stay for the night." Katy punched a number on her phone, bringing it up to her ear as it rang.

"You have a hotel on speed dial?"

But even as Maya said that, alarms started ringing in her head and she knew it was a stupid question. Her mother barely knew anything in this city.

There was only one person who Maya knew she would call. Maya closed her eyes, chanting a mantra in her head on repeat

 _Please don't say you're calling Layla. Please don't say you're calling Layla. Please don't say you're calling Layla. Please don't say you're calling Layla. Please don't say you're calling Layla._

"Hotel? I'm calling Layla. I'm sure she would be willing to let us stay the night."

Maya groaned, banging her head back against the seat of the car a few times, feeling total despair.

"Mom no! Not the Friars!"

"Yes, baby girl. The Friars. Layla's the only one I know who can help us! Hell, she's the only one I know in the city period!" Katy said, her brows lifting when the call picked up, "Hello? Layla? Hey! I know it's late and I am so sorry to disturb you, but can I ask a favour?"

Katy paused as Layla said something.

"Yes actually. No I'm fine. My house flooded though. I don't know what's going on but the kitchen and living room wall burst and water is flooding the ground and spraying everything." Katy chuckled at something Layla said on the phone. "Maya and I are just fine. We just need a place to stay for the night. Think we could crash with you? At least until tomorrow when I can call a company to figure out what happened."

Maya fake cried next to her mom, pretending like she was in despair (but not really pretending) until Katy lightly pinched her with a grin to stop.

"Oh thank you so much! You're a lifesaver! Really thank you! We'll be by in a little bit, okay?" Katy let out a sigh of relief. "Seriously thank you! Okay. Mmhmm. See you soon!"

Katy hung up and ignited the engine, grinning from ear to ear.

"Layla is so sweet!"

"Mom! Why the Friars?" Maya groaned as her mom pulled out of the driveway. "We look like a mess right now!"

Lucas was going to have a field day with this one. And just when she had finally managed to change her image. This was a one step forward, two steps back kind of situation.

"Well what choice do we have? And at least we won't have to spend so much more money. It's free lodging. And I trust Layla."

"Thanks a lot, Mom… Thanks for ruining my life."

"You're just being dramatic." Katy scoffed, pulling into the freeway so they could get there faster. "And why are you so against staying at the Friar's anyway? What? Don't tell me you have a crush on Lucas?"

"No." Maya quickly and firmly answered, stopping her mother's devolving train of thought. If she didn't cut off that mindset immediately, her mother would jump to severe conclusions and start badgering her (and probably embarrassing her) about a crush that didn't even exist. But there was no way she could tell her mother about the bet. That would be even worse. And Katy had always been something of a gossip. The last thing she needed was every mom in town knowing about Maya's little ploy to seduce Lucas. "I just don't like mooching off of people. We've been independent and fought through our difficulties by ourselves all our lives. Even at our lowest point. I don't want that to change."

Katy smiled. "Maya, you're very strong. And I'm proud of you. I know you have your reservations, but it's just one night, baby girl. We're still independent. We're just asking for a small favour."

"Yeah, I know…" Maya said, slumping in her seat and staring out the window as they drove. "I just don't like it."

It wasn't a _total_ lie.

Maya wasn't totally comfortable with freebies, and she much preferred the hard work she and her mother had put into their life before her second marriage in order to pick themselves up when things were really tough. It was a source of pride for Maya, having made it and defying odds even when so many odds were against her.

But she didn't mind staying at the Friar's. Their house was gorgeous and she knew she'd fallen in love with a lot of it when she had gotten a chance to see it. Especially with the art.

What she minded, was being in the same house as Lucas.

She didn't trust him at all.

She would definitely have to sleep with one eye open through the night.

Her anxiety increased tenfold when they pulled up in that familiar cobblestone driveway and Katy parked in front of the stairs. She hopped out of the car and Maya groaned, snatching up the suitcase and following her mom up the spiral steps to the door. Before they even had a chance to knock, the door flung open to Layla looking extremely concerned.

"You poor girls! Come inside. I'm sure you must be exhausted." She ushered them in. "Are you guys okay?"

"We're fine. Just a little distraught." Katy smiled. "I can't thank you enough. Sorry for intruding."

"It's no problem at all Katy. I've got plenty of room here." She made a motion for them to follow her. "Normally, I would let you guys have the guest house if you wanted for your privacy, but unfortunately, it's being renovated. We do have a few guest bedrooms upstairs though."

Maya followed Layla and her mother up the spiraling staircase at the front, somewhat cowering behind the two of them. She hadn't seen Lucas anywhere, but she wasn't going to take that risk and possibly be seen by him. If she kept herself partially covered, she could easily hide herself if he popped out of nowhere.

She really didn't want him to see her. She was wearing the Looney Tunes pajama onesie that Riley had gotten her the year before. They were thankfully shorts and not footed and looked more like a jumper, but it was not something she wanted him to see her in. Not to mention, her bedhead was all over the place and out of control. Maya wasn't the type to think she had to be done up at all times or she couldn't show her face, but she definitely didn't want Lucas to see her in this state while she was still in the middle of her first step and her transformation in his eyes. It certainly wouldn't help her case.

Thankfully, he never showed up though and as Layla situated Katy in one of the guest rooms and brought Maya to another, she started to feel a little less anxious. Maybe he was already asleep and she wouldn't have to see him. In a perfect world, that would be what would occur, but knowing her life and the way things had gotten incredibly messed up without her even having to really lift a finger, she had a feeling that wouldn't be the case.

"I washed the pillowcases last week. I'll be back in a minute with some clean ones for you, okay?" Layla said, heading back down the hallway, "Feel free to make yourself at home."

Maya smiled back and turned to face the guest bedroom. It was nice. Quaint. A room with tan walls with a few tasteful paintings. The comforter and sheets of the bed were a pale, soothing blue and the entire room smelled vaguely of vanilla. There was a nightstand beside the bed, a dresser, a love seat couch beneath the window, and a desk in one corner. It was a warm, cozy room but Maya felt uneasy. She felt nervous about sleeping in an unfamiliar bed in an unfamiliar house. With a disgusting womanizing creep somewhere in said house.

Why did this crap have to happen to their house right after they'd gotten settled into their new place?

This was _crazy_.

Maya had been hoping things wouldn't end up stupid crazy in this city but she'd been sorely proven wrong this whole week. She thought her life in New York City had been kind of messed up, but it had nothing on _this._

Why was it that trouble always seemed to follow her wherever she went?

There was a knock on the door, and Maya turned back to face the open door, expecting Layla to be there with the pillowcases.

What she found instead was Lucas in a tank and boxers holding the pillowcases and staring at her with a barely concealed look of amusement.

"Oh fuck me…"

And just as she expected, Lucas started laughing his ass off.

"Yeah, yeah. Laugh it up, you dumbass." Maya said with a roll of her eyes, though she knew her cheeks were burning with a blush.

Was the universe fucking with her on purpose or something? Every time she didn't want something to happen, it happened!

"Cute pajamas…" Lucas snorted, still chuckling.

 _Fuck this._

Maya was not a fan of being mocked or laughed at. Especially not by an asshole she couldn't stand. They both were in their pajamas, but while he looked like a damn underwear model, Maya knew she was looking like she just rolled out of bed.

She grabbed the door, pushing it hard and intending to close it, but Lucas stopped it, pushing it back open with a raise of his brow.

"So Shortstack. You're spending the night here?"

"Look, you nut. It's late, I'm exhausted, I've had a rough evening, you're the last person I want to see right now, and I really don't want to deal with your shit. So can I please just have the pillowcases so I can get some sleep?"

"Apologies ma'am. I didn't realize you were going through so much." He smiled charmingly, though not altogether friendly, and handed them to her. "Funny how we keep ending up in these strange circumstances though."

She took them slowly with narrowed eyes, not trusting that calculating look in his eyes.

"So what?"

"Just thinking out loud." He said with a smirk, "I'm down the hall if you need me. Feel free to knock if you get desperate. I'll make an exception for you."

"What part of I don't want to deal with your shit do you not understand?" Maya growled, slamming the door in his face, though she could still hear his laughter as he walked away towards his own room.

She sighed dejectedly and plopped down on the plush bed, laying back and rubbing her face with her hands.

This was like a bad joke from one of those cliché chick flick movies where the girl was forced to live with the guy and stupid antics ensued.

What the fuck was her life?

At least it was only one night. One night and she could shove all that had happened to the back of her mind and forget all about it.

She could handle one night.


	11. He's The Worst

**A/N: LOL Maya's life though... Ahahahaha clichés. Can't help but love 'em! xD This update would have been up yesterday, but I got a migraine and I felt faint all day... :/ But I feel fantabulous right now!  
**

 **Thank you for the kind reviews you guys! I honestly thank you for being so kind and loving and just overall the best people I have ever met! I can't thank you enough for being so sweet and kind to me. It honestly warms my heart! I love all of you so much! :')  
**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own GMW or the characters, but shit... if I did... You guys better run... ヽ(￣д￣;)ノ=3=3=3**

* * *

 **To:** "Honey"

 **From:** "Peaches"

 **Subject:** Re: how's texas peaches? (not how are the peaches in tx, but how is texas, peaches)

riley.

i get it. you want to experience the perfect romance like your parents. but did it ever occur to you that maybe the fact that you're trying too hard to seek out who _you_ deem to be perfect for you is actually setting you back?

stop looking for 'The One' 

just sit back, and let it happen on its own. prince charming will appear when it's time for you to meet him. and when he does, you'll know. hell, you never know. prince charming could be someone you least expected and didn't notice.

so please. just chill on the whole meeting guys thing. you're actually worrying me quite a bit with this whole meeting guys at parties thing.

let me give you a word of advice.

if you're dancing sexy and a guy approaches you and dances on you, his mind is the farthest thing from "oh hey, i really want to get to know this girl, take her out to picnics in a meadow of flowers, and serenade her with my saccharine words of love". nope. his thoughts will be closer to "oh hey, this girl's hot as fuck. i have to bang her. let me do my weird ass mating call by giving her a taste of my package by grinding on her ass."

riles, babe. smdh. this ain't the way to go.

just trust me. please. i don't want you getting hurt because of the wrong guy. because you know i will take the first plane to NYC, find this guy, and Kill Bill his ass for hurting you. and then i'll be in jail and we won't get to see each other anymore.

(have you ever seen it? my mom and i decided to watch it on saturday instead of our usual chick flicks and it was awesome! watch it with farkle just to see how much he squirms! i guarantee you'll love it)

good to know your dad knows i mean business. but if he thinks he can beat me, he's got another think coming. i was hoping it wouldn't have to come to this, but it looks like i'm going to have to call in my secret weapon:

topanga.

i hope he trembles in fear. because if he refuses to budge from his stance on giving you back your phone, i'm going to sic your mom on him and he knows she'll side with me.

and no. i refuse to change my style into country chic. it's not my thing. besides, i'm strictly a sexy clothing kind of gal at the moment. or at least until i win this stupid bet.

but you know what's utterly fucked up though?

my life.

guess what. so our house—our house that we just bought— _flooded_ with water. a lot of water. i don't know what's going on but mom and i have to spend the night at the friar's. yes _those_ friars. as in, lucas' house. i have no idea what's going to happen, but i'm definitely locking the bedroom door.

riley, why is my life getting so fucked up? i haven't even been here a month, yet everything is crazy as hell.

is my life always destined to be a trainwreck?!

i really need some reassurance here because everything has just been one continuous downhill derby since he and mom started fighting before the divorce. my life just keeps getting worse…

dammit. i really wish you were here riley.

love you always my honey,

peaches

 _(sent 12:47am 10/15)_

* * *

Maya groaned, turning over in her bed and blearily rubbing her eyes. She was exhausted. She'd tossed and turned all night and still couldn't find a way to fall completely back asleep. It was weird. She'd had a nightmare that her house had flooded with water, and she and her mom had to stay at the Friar's house. It was actually a pretty specific and vivid (and quite frankly _terrifying_ ) dream, and Maya hadn't been able to shake it, even as she tried desperately to get to sleep.

But at least it was just a dream.

Grumbling incoherently, her face buried in her pillow, she reached her arm out and snatched up her phone from the dresser beside her, bringing it to her face and cracking open one eye to see how much time she had before her alarm went off and she would have to start getting ready for school.

It was 10:23 AM.

Monday October 15th 10:23 AM.

School started at 8:15 AM.

Maya frowned, blinking at the numbers on her phone, wondering if something or someone was fucking with her.

But she knew no one was.

With a sharp intake of breath, Maya shot up, gasping slightly when she realized how late she was for school. And then she gasped again when she realized she was in the plush really fancy guest bedroom she thought she had dreamed about.

It was real.

The nightmare had been fully and completely real.

"Fuck…" Maya muttered, scratching her head, flipping her phone open when she saw that she had an unread text message from her mom.

 _Hey bg. I was going to wake you up, but you were sleeping like a baby so I thought it would be best to let you have your sleep. Kids who sleep, grow after all ;P Can't drop you off today; Layla and I went to go see a consultant about the house._

So what was she supposed to do? Just not go to school that day? No doubt Lucas was already long gone.

Maya set her phone down, the entire evening's memories crashing back to her after she'd most likely tried to subconsciously suppress them in her mind. She kicked the covers off, groaning and wishing this honestly wasn't happening to her. She was so messed up over it, and she still had to show up that day to school and continue to execute her plan. But how the hell was she supposed to do that when all these stupid odds kept stacking themselves against her? This seriously blew.

Maya found fresh towels and cloths for washing resting on the top of the dresser and a note from Layla letting her know that the guest bathroom was two doors down from Lucas' room at the end of the hall. So she would have to approach enemy territory in order to get ready for the day. Maya snatched up the stuff and cautiously, she peeked out of the door and glanced both ways down the hallway. Lucas' room door was partially open, but she didn't hear anything.

Was she the only one in the house?

But she couldn't be too careful.

Maya hurried down the hall, creeping and keeping her ears open for any possible alerts that she was in danger from the big bad womanizing asshole. But there was no noise from anywhere as she entered the bathroom.

She shut the door with a relieved sigh before checking out the bathroom. It looked like a damn hotel bathroom, wide, spacious, and immaculately cleaned with both a stand up shower and a Jacuzzi like bathtub. Potted plants and gorgeous rugs decorating the room. Scented candles left the air smelling like comforting lavender. An assortment of expensive shampoos, conditioners, lotions and creams, body washes and soaps, etc with foreign names she could never afford in all her life were on the counter. In awe, Maya opened the large cabinet against one wall, surprised to see state of the art hair care products and machinary.

This was outrageous.

"Seriously?" Maya muttered under her breath, stroking the extremely fluffy bathrobe hanging on the door. It was so soft and fluffy that Maya could feel the drool coming to her mouth. That had to be the softest robe she had ever felt. "This house is like perfect…"

Was this what it was like living in the lap of luxury?

Maya couldn't lie. It made her a little giddy. Biting on her lower lip in excitement, she stripped her clothes, tossing them in the hamper before grabbing a couple random products that looked pretty good and hopping in the shower. As soon as water hit her, she let out a low moan, almost melting into a puddle. Even the water felt luxurious, not to mention the water pressure was _perfect_. So much better than the pelting and choppiness of their apartment back in New York and the trickling of their current showers in their home.

She scrubbed her skin and washed her hair, absolutely taken aback by how amazing the body wash was. It left her skin feeling smooth, like a baby's and plenty moisturized unlike other products she'd used before. And don't even get her started on the shampoo. It didn't dry out her wild mane of hair and leave it tangled in knocks. By the time she had rinsed out the conditioner, her hair still felt silky smooth and unbelievably soft. It was the first time she'd been able to still run her fingers through her hair without tugging and tearing out strands after her shampoo in the morning.

Maya didn't know if her mom had used this bathroom yet, but a serious fangirling and spazzing session was in order for this kind of luxury. Neither she nor her mother had ever even stayed at hotels _this_ nice. And Maya knew she had already fallen so deeply in love with this house it wasn't even funny.

Finished with her shower and humming happily, Maya stepped out, wrapping a towel around chest and body so she could dry her hair before it frizzed like it tended to do in humidity.

And then the bathroom door opened, and Lucas walked in.

Maya stared up at him, frozen, a deer caught in headlights as she tried to come to terms with what the hell was happening. Was he actually standing in the bathroom? Was this shit for real?

"Hey." Lucas said nonchalantly, like he hadn't just walked into the bathroom right after she had showered and was barely clothed. "My mom told me to give you a ride to school. I've got a test at one. You think you could finish up a little faster?"

Maya didn't even have to look in the mirror to know her face was burning.

"Oh my God!" Maya shouted, grabbing a shampoo from the counter and hurling it as hard as she could at him. Lucas caught it deftly, a brow raised in amusement. "What the fuck are you doing in here?! Get out!"

"Chill out. It's not like you're naked." Lucas said with a snort, "You've got a good arm, though. You play softball?"

"Are you serious right now?!" Maya yelled, stooping and protectively covering her chest even if it was already covered by the towel. She felt so exposed and her privacy violated. " _Get the fuck out_!"

Lucas chuckled as he set the shampoo back on the counter and left the bathroom, clearly not giving a damn.

"Hurry up, though." Lucas called out from further down the hall, "We're already late enough as it is."

Maya planted her foot hard on the door, slamming it shut with a growl, feeling her hot rage flow through her blood.

What in the _fuck_ was wrong with him?!

~.~.~

Once Maya had gotten dressed and fixed up her hair for school, she stomped down the steps to the first level, her fists clenched tight as she made her way to the kitchen.

"You're a _disgusting_ lecher, you know?" Maya snarled as soon as she stormed in and saw Lucas, the ferocity of her words punctuated by the sharp, angry clacking of her stilettos against the tiles. "What kind of guy walks into a bathroom where a girl is showering without knocking? And where's your breakfast stuff? I'm starving."

"So next time lock the door." Lucas shrugged, arms crossed in front of his chest as he watched her in amusement. "We have cereal in the pantry. That door. Next to the wine cellar."

"If you had walked in a second earlier I wouldn't even have been covered!" Maya continued, yanking open the door next to the one she had seen Layla get the wine from about a week ago.

She tried not to let her surprise show on her face. What was with everything in their house being immaculately stocked and furnished? If she fell in love with this house any more, she was sure it would be really hard readjusting to life back home that evening. She hadn't been here enough to really acquaint herself with this house, but she was already getting so attached it kind of worried her.

"Aww really?" He drawled, "That's too bad. I should have shown up earlier then."

Maya pulled out the container with the chocolaty looking cereal, slamming it down on the kitchen counter with a glare directed at Lucas.

"You repulsive, insufferable piece of shit." Maya narrowed her eyes. "If you had walked in on me naked, I would have kicked your ass."

"Hey. You can't fault me. I can't help it that my aesthetic is a naked girl." Lucas said with a raised brow, "Even short little snippy elves like you."

"Fuck you." Maya spat automatically.

She hated him. How the hell was he able to rile her up so easily with just a few choice words?!

"I don't think you're qualified for that kind of action with me, darling." He countered without missing a beat. "But if you really are that desperate, I'm sure I can find time for you eventually."

"You're a pig." Maya growled, storming past him, looking around for silverware. "Where are your bowls?"

He pointed to the upper cabinet behind him with a small smirk. She glanced up slowly, her face falling almost immediately. It was _well_ above Maya's reach.

"Seriously…?" Maya muttered under her breath.

"What's wrong, Shortstack?" He looked entirely too amused. "You need a bowl for breakfast, don't you?"

Maya glanced at him, bristling as he stared her down, his eyes dancing in mirth, waiting for her to make her next move. If she was home she would have no qualms climbing up on the counter to grab something, but she very well couldn't right now for two reasons. One: she was wearing a dangerously short skirt and she would most definitely flash him if she even dared go up on the counter. And two: there was no way in hell she would look stupid in front of him because she had no doubt seeing her climb up on furniture would give him a good laugh, and he'd already been laughing at her long enough.

"Why the hell are your bowls so high up?"

"My mom and I are tall. It's normal for us." He set his hand on the counter past Maya, leaning down closer to her with a something of a dangerous look on his face. "I can get it for you, if you want."

Maya leaned a bit away from him, not liking the expression in his eyes at all. No doubt there was some condition or something unpleasant tacked onto that offer and there was no way in hell Maya wanted to give him any reason to think that she owed him, for whatever reason.

"No."

"You sure? I don't think you're tall enough to reach it, _Maya_." Lucas said in a low tone of voice, his eyes heated. "I can help you."

The way he said her name sent a small chill going down her back, and Maya spun around indignantly, staring up at the cabinet. She tried to tell herself it wasn't because Lucas' gaze was pretty intense and difficult to look directly into when he was doing _that_ with it.

"I can get it myself, asshole."

But even as she said that, Maya knew it was false. She would never be able to reach that high. Not even with her heels on. Part of her wanted to try, but the other part was actually a little nervous. He was too close (on purpose no doubt, the fucker). Her back was facing him, and she had this small feeling that if she even dared reach up, he might touch her. And she was absolutely positive her skin would _crawl_.

"Can you back up a bit?"

"Why?" he asked simply, though she could hear the laughter in his voice, "Am I making you nervous?"

Maya stiffened, her eyes narrowed in annoyance. He was goading her. Still goading her. Always fucking goading her.

" _No_." she spat.

Licking her lips anxiously, Maya reached up slowly, not realizing that she was holding her breath, hoping by some stroke of luck that her hand would be able to grasp the handle of the cabinet and grab one of the bowls. But it didn't. And she stood there for a moment, her teeth grit, cursing her luck for inheriting her mother's short little height.

 _Fuck… Now what_?

Either she brought her arm back down and faced embarrassment for even trying in the first place. Or she stayed just as she was and faced embarrassment for _still_ trying when she clearly wasn't going to go anywhere with her attempt.

It was a lose-lose situation.

She was starting to realize she was ending up in a lot of those when it pertained to Lucas.

"Wow. You are unbelievably stubborn. Here I am offering you help, and you still refuse even though you obviously can't reach it." He said almost right next to her ear. Maya went rigid. "This is almost sad to watch…"

She watched his arm slowly reach up, opening the cabinet with ease and taking out a bowl. He was nearly pressed right up against her. She could feel his belt buckle against her lower back, and she just _knew_ he was smirking in victory. Damn this asshole. He was very obviously trying to get a rise out of her.

And what was worse was that his scent was enveloping her, pervasive and heady and making her somewhat weak in the knees. And for a moment—for just a moment—Maya let out a quiet, shaky breath, imagining it was Josh behind her, and she almost closed her eyes, getting lost in the scent.

But Lucas' cologne was mingled with the scent of some sexy aftershave, and she was roused back to reality, snapping out of her daze as he brought his arm down. Maya's arm slackened by her side and swallowing thickly, she turned around slowly, keeping her gaze on the floor and not on Lucas, who was all but leaning her backwards onto the counter, barely any space between their bodies. If she even tried to straighten a bit, it was full body contact. And the thought of that almost sent a spasm of absolute revulsion through her body.

"…Can I have the bowl?" Maya said through clenched teeth.

"I don't know…" Lucas muttered, shifting so his other hand was leaning on the counter beside her, boxing her in, "What's in it for me?"

Maya lifted her gaze, glowering at him and meeting Lucas' amused one. She stood her ground, despite the fact that they were much too close, and he was patiently watching her with a look of challenge in his eyes.

How the fuck was it possible for someone so unbelievably hot to be such a giant dickweed? No doubt this was a game to him. To see how far he could harass her until she cracked. If he thought she was going to let him have the upper hand for one damn second, he was hella wrong.

"Well…" Maya said, sugary sweet and batting her eyelashes, "You _don't_ get a trip to the ER, I can tell you that much."

He searched her eyes for a moment, not particularly wearing any expression on his face. Then he snorted derisively, backing away from her and setting the bowl in her hands.

"There are spoons in that drawer." Lucas said, "Hurry up so we can leave."

Maya glared at him, her teeth grit and eyes narrowed as he left the kitchen.

She hated him.

She hated him so fucking much.


	12. Step Two: Physical Attraction? Huh?

**A/N: Still slowly trucking through every story's updates! But I promise I will respond to all PMs soon! I've just fallen quite a bit behind! Also, there was an inquiry a long time ago about the pace of this story? There's no other way to put it but _slow._ Lol I mean hell, we're still on the introductory chapters of this story and we're on chapter 12. So expect a long ride. If those kinds of stories bug you, I can't really say anything but sorry. It is what it is. Nevertheless, I hope you still stick with it ;3  
**

 **Also, just generally, if I end up taking a long time to update, check my profile near the progress bar for possible information on my update schedule, my absence, or what it is that is keeping me from updating the story more quickly. If there's nothing, then assume I'm taking a break.  
**

 **Thank you for all the sweet words and inquiries everyone! I'm happy you are enjoying this story but don't worry! I promise I will never abandon it! You're all so wonderful and I really appreciate the support! :D  
**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own GMW or the characters, but shit... if I did... You guys better run... ヽ(￣д￣;)ノ=3=3=3**

* * *

Maya chewed anxiously on her pen, checking her phone every two seconds for a text from her mom. She'd been sitting on pins and needles through all her classes all day, hoping that her mother would give her a call and let her know what the situation was with the house. Maya _desperately_ needed to know what was going to happen with them. She'd even skipped lunch because she was way too frazzled to speak to anyone when she was so unbelievably anxious about the verdict. If it was taking Katy this long to contact her regarding the house, did that mean it was something bad?

And now she was already in Psych, her last class of the day, and she had no idea what she was supposed to do at the end of the school day.

But one thing she knew for sure was that she didn't want to be driven anywhere by Lucas Friar again. Thankfully, he'd kept his mouth shut the entire car ride to school, but it wasn't so much _him_ that had made things terrible as the environment that had near driven her crazy (though don't get her wrong. His presence in general was nauseating). And _not_ crazy in a fucking awesome way, but crazy in an 'I want to open this car door and tuck and roll the fuck up out of here' way.

For one, there was Lucas' terrible choice of country music as acceptable background music. Then there was his almost crazy, I don't give a shit driving through the streets. But the worst was how his car was _surrounded_ by his scent. Engulfed almost entirely. It clung to everything in the car to the point that it was wrapped around Maya like a blanket. And the scent had clung to her clothes and hair and it was still stuck in her nose for a good couple hours afterward, even when she hadn't been in his car. She was certain she even smelled like him for the better part of the afternoon.

She just did not want to get in his car ever again, which was why she was waiting for her mother's confirmation that she was at school and that they were going home after this.

But with each minute that passed that brought her closer to the final bell of the school day and no contact from her mom, Maya's heart started beating more rapidly in her chest.

"So let's take a small break from this chapter for a moment." Her teacher, Mrs. McCullen, stated, "I want to focus on a quick example and side topic related to this discussion. The psychology behind our attraction to things."

Maya lifted her head from her phone, raising a brow.

 _Really. We just happen to be conveniently learning about physical attraction right now? Is my whole life one big cliché?_

"Now, attraction is a biological process as many of you have deduced from what we studied late last month. But the root of our attraction isn't just romantic in nature, nor is it limited to just human beings. Attraction is about magnetism. Being drawn to something. Our instinctual desire for particular traits exhibited by a certain specimen. For example, I am deeply, deeply addicted to Starbucks' pumpkin spice latte. Yes, I'm aware it makes me look like a stereotypical college girl cliché, but fuck it, I love it because of the aroma, the combination of the flavours, and the way it makes me feel. You could say I am _attracted_ to PSLs. And unlike my useless husband, they _can_ give me an orgasm."

The class laughed.

"That being said guys, these last ten minutes, I want you to pair up with someone sitting nearby you and using what we have been studying, compile a list of "rules" of attraction. The biology behind that process of attraction between human beings." She checked her watch. "This isn't to turn in. I just want you guys to brainstorm, think about some of these things to sort your thoughts. We'll do this until the end of class."

Maya leaned back in her chair, not particularly interested in finding a partner. She would wait until everyone else got their own partners and then find some group to latch onto.

Or that was what she had been planning, but someone tapped on her shoulder from behind. Maya turned over her shoulder and was surprised to see tall, dark, and brooding from the previous week. Her brows lifted in recognition.

"Oh, it's you." Maya said dryly, turning around a bit more in her chair, "Mr. Girls Talk To Guys Only When They Want To Fuck Them. You're in my class?"

He gave her a deadpan look, but otherwise didn't respond to her comment. "We're the only two without partners."

"Okay, so then partners?"

He nodded, flipping his notebook to a new page. "So rules of attraction. I figured you'd know about these."

Maya frowned. "Why the hell would I know the rules? I missed half of her lectures on this chapter."

He fixed her with a curious stare, almost confused in a way. His expression was a little difficult to read, and Maya rolled her eyes.

"Can we just get on with this?"

"Fine." He said, scribbling down something at the top of the page, "Well basically, attraction is the basis of all human relationships. There is some hypothesis that the biology behind our attraction to certain things is an innate process tied to our call to mate and reproduce as human beings. The attraction to people is the way our bodies tell us that we have found the perfect person to breed with."

Maya frowned.

"Okay," she said at length, "But if it's supposedly innate, why do humans always continue to change what or who they are attracted to? Why is it that humans who have no initial attraction can end up attracted to something later? And on top of that, I'm attracted to certain friendships I have forged, but I don't necessarily want to breed with those people. How does that make any sense?"

"Look, I don't care." he drawled, "I just want to get this shit done so I can go grab a smoke."

Maya rolled her eyes. "Okay then. Rules of attraction. Obviously intrigue is an important factor. The looks of the person."

"But it's not just about looking hot." he said with a slightly quirked brow, "The person has to be engaging, interesting. The personality has to be able to suck in someone's interest too. Things like if they will be emotionally available in the long run. While physicality and body language is important as well as flirting and eye contact and the like, it's also about personality and the likeability of a person overall."

Maya froze, her brows lifting slightly. It was strange, but suddenly, she was starting to see that this conversation was tying in completely with her plan to seduce Lucas. She was trying to get him attracted to her, but she would get stuck if Lucas just didn't like _her_ period.

Shit.

Suddenly she understood _exactly_ what Missy had been talking about all too clearly.

"But what about intrigue?" Maya asked, chewing on her fingernail, "Even if the likeability isn't there, can't attraction be built from a general intrigue in something someone can't have?"

"Well, yeah. I guess. For a lot of people, the taboo is appealing because it's not allowed so the mind desires to know why it's not allowed. It's why some people are rebellious I guess. The adrenaline from something that's not for you to have." He looked pensive for a moment. "But that's not sustainable for attraction long term. Once you've had that thing, it will no longer have that taboo appeal and interest will be lost."

"I see."

He stared at her, looking like he was trying to figure something out.

"So why'd you change your style anyway?" he asked suddenly, his eyes slightly narrowed, "I can only assume you really are going after Friar? Are you two fucking?"

Why was he so interested in knowing?

"Oh you want to know? Honestly?" Maya asked, uncrossing her legs and standing up once the stupid bell finally rang. She leaned down closer to him, holding his gaze seriously as he stared up at her. "None of your business."

She snatched up her bag and then hurried out of the classroom as she headed toward her locker, dialing her mother's number and hoping desperately that she would pick up, because Maya seriously needed some reassurance.

Katy picked up on near the last ring.

 _"I was just fixing to call you, baby girl."_

"Mom. _Hello_? How come you didn't tell me anything about the house all day?"

 _"I'm sorry, honey. I've just been busy with a lot of paperwork and getting a consultation on the state of the house. Plus, I didn't want to distract you at you school with the bad news."_

Maya's heart skipped a beat.

"Bad news? Consultation?"

 _"Well it turns out that all the pipes in our house are old and rusted. And it just so happened that the ones in the kitchen ruptured. There is water damage in every wall, but the living room and kitchen walls were the weakest. Then, we found out we had a terrible wood beetle and termite problem or something like that. And then, it turns out that the house is actually asymmetrically built and the upper level would have probably cracked in half and caved in on itself or something in a handful of years, especially with these water damaged walls. Plus, it turns out our house's septic tank is absolutely full and sewage was actually rising from some of the bathroom sinks."_

With each problem that her mother tacked on to the list, Maya felt herself grow more and more anxious. This was not sounding good.

"So… what does that mean?"

 _"Well, it means that we're remodeling!"_ Katy squealed in excitement, _"Complete home makeover and renovation! Layla helped me find this great deal with a contractor because he owes her a favour. And insurance will cover most of it as well! So we won't have to buy a new home because the cost for the repairs is actually cheaper than purchasing a new place!"_

"Obviously, Mom, I'm not asking about what's happening with the house. I'm asking about what's happening to _us_."

 _"Oh us? Well isn't it obvious? We're living with the Friars until the remodeling is complete! Lap of luxury, Maya! Isn't this so exciting?! Layla and I are actually at the house right now trying to pack some of our stuff to salvage and bring with us. She has a storage unit in her second garage that she said we can keep our furniture in until we move back home so could you ask Lucas to give you a ride home so you can pack your things and also…"_

Maya didn't hear most of anything else she said afterward. She stopped moving in the middle of the hallway, her jaw dropped, staring blankly in the distance, her heart wildly beating in her chest. She ignored the looks she kept receiving from different students walking by her.

Her life was over.

It wasn't just one night at their house.

They were living _with_ the Friars!

More mornings of having to be absolutely careful that Lucas' horny, womanizing ass didn't walk into the bathroom while she was showering. More mornings of struggling to try to find ways to get what she needed from high places without making an idiot of herself or relying on him.

She would have to be actively working out her plan every single day and evening. When would she get the chance to relax and not have to put on airs now? He could show up at any and every corner and she'd always have to make sure she was exacting her plan at any time.

 _"…Maya? Maya? You still there, baby girl?"_

"Mom, why can't we stay in a hotel?!"

 _"That's ridiculous. Do you know how long this remodeling could take? I'm thinking multiple, multiple months. That would be way too expensive."_

"You're not helping!"

 _"Maya, come on. I know you're upset that we have to rely on people again, but look on the bright side. At least the place we're staying at is gorgeous. We got particularly lucky to have such a nice friend to help us in our time of need."_ Katy crooned softly, _"Don't worry. Think of it like a vacation, okay? Find Lucas. His mother called him about the situation, so he'll be giving you a ride over here. I'll see you soon, baby girl."_

Maya stared at her phone after Katy hung up, her eyes wide in disbelief.

What the fuck was going on with her life?

In a slight daze, she dragged her feet around the corner to the senior lockers, walking up to where Missy, Camille, and Lexi were chatting next to her locker about something. When Camille caught sight of her, she gasped excitedly, waving at Maya. She didn't like the way they were looking at her, these curious gleams in their eyes.

"Hey guys." Maya said warily, tucking a strand of coiled hair in her face behind her ear.

"Maya! We haven't seen you all day! Okay! So two questions: Why were you so late to school? And why the hell did you show up to school with Lucas?! And _late_ for that matter! The gossip mills at this school are on _fire_ because of you! Everyone thinks you guys hooked up over the weekend! Someone claims that they swore they saw you guys having sex in his truck in the parking lot before school! And we're all just sitting at the edge of our seats, wondering how the hot new girl Maya Hart will surprise us next!"

"Well. That's a straight up falsity." Maya rolled her eyes, turning the dial on her locker and putting in her combination. "And sex in his car? Really? Do people just like to make shit up to stir up drama in this school? We didn't even show up until around before lunchtime, so how the hell did this person so called see us fucking when we weren't even here?"

"Somebody's in a fractious mood." Missy said with a raised brow, "You look worn down, girl. What's up?"

"My house flooded. The pipes broke and there's a whole bunch of other stuff that is really messed up and now it has to be renovated."

"I'm sorry." Missy said sympathetically, "Look on the bright side though. At least with a renovation, you can totally make it look however you want."

"There could have been a bright side, _i_ _f_ we were staying anywhere during said renovation other than at the Friar's…"

Camille gasped dramatically at the same time that Missy's jaw dropped wide open. Even Lexi had a brow raised in intrigue, a slight upward quirk to her pursed lips.

"Holy shit!" Missy exclaimed. "You're staying at Lucas' place?! Is that why he drove you to school?"

"Unfortunately."

"Oh my God!" Camille shouted, "You're living at his place now?! This is crazy! How gorgeous is his place? Have you seen him naked yet? What does his room look like? Does he have a lot of nude posters on his walls? What does he wear when he's lounging around? What does he wear as pajamas? Is it true that Lucas' bed head hair is the sexiest thing to ever see?"

She stopped talking rather abruptly, breathing heavily to catch her breath. Maya stared at Camille in amusement for a moment.

"You done?"

Camille nodded rapidly, a wide grin on her face.

"Alright. Yes, because we don't have anywhere else to stay. His place is absolutely amazing, but the fact that he lives there seriously diminishes its value to me. No, thank God. I don't know, though I did see blue walls through the crack of the door. I haven't been inside yet, and I'd rather not find out. I haven't seen him lounging around, so I wouldn't know. He wears a white tank and boxers, I think. I woke up after he was already done getting ready."

"Well." Missy said. "This gives you quite the advantage and more opportunities for your seduction Maya. You actually have a homefield advantage now. You see that Lexi? Maya has an in now since their mothers are close. She might actually win this thing."

"Doesn't mean anything." Lexi said with a shrug, "Even if she walks around naked in front of him, I'm sure Lucas won't be the least bit interested. You don't exactly scream sex appeal, Maya. Even with your cute little makeover."

"Hey Missy. Can I get expelled for ripping out Lexi's hair?" Maya deadpanned, fixing Lexi with a dangerous glare.

"What is it with you and threatening to pull out hair?" Lexis scoffed in disgust, though her hand went protectively to her hair. "You're an animal."

Missy rolled her eyes. "You guys are both ridiculous. Just call off this bet and become friends already."

"No. Not until…" Lexi tapered off, eyes narrowed, and she stared at her phone.

They all waited for her to finish her statement, but she didn't say anything else.

"Not until what?"

"None of your business, Missy."

There was laughing from down the hall. A loud, deep laughter that sent chills down Maya's back and made the hairs rise on the back of her neck in deep disgust. All four glanced in that direction and saw Lucas and a few of his friends approaching them from down the hall. Maya's gaze connected with Lucas' briefly and she snapped it quickly away, cursing under her breath, because she knew damn well why he was coming over to her.

"Well I've got to go." Lexi said quickly, grabbing Camille's arm, "C'mon Camille. You're going shopping with me today."

"Sweet! Bye guys. Good luck Maya!"

Lexi and Camille left the area and Missy stood there, staring at Maya in concern as Maya contemplated whether to close the locker door on her head. Maybe if she passed out and then woke up again, this would all just be a bad dream. She could see Lucas and his entourage steadily approaching and that only served to remind her that shit was about to get really stupid.

"I think I should probably leave." Missy said a bit anxiously when she caught sight of Billy, "Let me know how everything goes."

Maya reached out and grabbed hold of her sleeve before she could take off.

"Hell no. I need a witness in case he tries anything stupid with me."

Missy rolled her eyes. "Why are you so scared of Lucas? He literally doesn't do anything but sleep around with girls. Well, and his occasional venture into beating the shit out of people and getting suspended, but he's generally harmless."

"Harmless?! Are you fucking kidding me, Missy? This morning he walked right into the bathroom I had just showered in without knocking! If he had come in a few seconds beforehand, I would have been totally nude." Maya exclaimed, "And anyway, I could ask you the same thing Miss Why Are You So Scared Of Lucas. Why the hell are _you_ scared of Billy?"

Missy's cheeks erupted in a bright blush, but she clammed up just as Lucas and his friends stopped beside them.

"Shortstack." Lucas said. Maya clogged her nose quickly before she caught any wind of his cologne. "I was informed that I should bring you to your place to get your stuff so you can take it to my place."

"Unfortunately." Maya muttered, still staring inside her locker, refusing to give him any of her full attention. "And my name is _Maya_ , Sundance."

She could see his stupid smirk from the corner of her eyes, and it only infuriated her more.

"Maya, what's cracking?" Zay said with a wide grin, walking over to her and playfully slapping her back, "You're looking a little wild in the eyes there. Any updates for me?"

"Zay, not now." Maya said, fixing him with an annoyed glare.

Missy and Lucas both had slightly confused looks on their faces.

"Since when are you friends with Zay?" Missy asked slowly, her brows furrowed. Maya could literally see the journalist in her gearing up for an onslaught of new information.

"Since Sunday." Zay said with a smile, wrapping an arm around Maya's shoulders, "Maya's a badass."

Lucas snorted in amusement, but otherwise said nothing.

"Got something to say, Ranger Rick?"

"Not so much a badass as constantly angry and bitchy." he responded, looking a little bored.

"Whatever." Maya rolled her eyes, slamming her locker shut.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa… Back it up a bit." Billy said, looking absolutely fucking confused, "Why are _you_ moving your stuff to _his_ place?"

There was a moment of silence as Lucas' friends contemplated what had just been said. Zay gave Maya a raised brow, his expression looking much too amused than Maya felt comfortable with. She closed her eyes, hoping Lucas wouldn't be an idiot and would read the atmosphere and make the prudent decision not to let everyone know about the situation.

"She's moving in with me." He said, staring at Maya with a particularly nasty smirk on his face. And she knew he knew exactly what she had been hoping he wouldn't do it and he'd done it anyway. "Because she's living with me now."

 _You fuckhead…_

There was another spell of shocked silence and wide eyes from some of them as Maya and Lucas squared off, Maya gritting her teeth in irritation. She wanted to crawl in a damn hole. She hadn't wanted people to know _all_ of her business. And especially not the way he had said it, insinuating something she knew would make people jump to the wrong conclusions.

"So are you two…?"

"We are not whatever the end of your sentence was going to be, Billy." Maya corrected, "My house is being renovated and his mom is letting my family stay with them for the time being."

"Oh." Billy still looked unconvinced, staring between the two of them with obvious suspicion on his features.

Lucas laughed, clearly finding his whole purposeful word fuckery hilarious.

"Right, so can we get going?" Lucas asked, "I don't know how long this will take, and I have to meet someone at seven."

Maya turned to Missy, leaning over and speaking in a low voice, so no one else could hear what she said.

"If I don't text you tonight, it's because he did something, and I'll probably be on the run because I handcuffed him to his car and drove it into a lake."

"Maya, you'll be fine." Missy chuckled, "Anyway, I've gotta go. Newspaper club awaits."

She picked up her bag from the floor and walked away from the small group. As she passed by Billy, she gave him a quick, shy smile before tucking her hair behind her ear and rushing off to her club activities.

Maya let out a long sigh, rucking the strap of her bag further on her shoulder. Before she could take a step forward to leave, Zay pulled her back, spinning her around and guiding her in the opposite direction.

"Zay, what are you—"

"It'll just be a second. Then you love birds can get back to your strange mating ritual."

Maya shot him a glare.

"What do you want?" she asked, once he had decided they were a far enough distance away.

"So I told myself I wasn't going to get involved in this bet like this, but I found it strange how Lucas has no problems messing with you. He doesn't do this kind of stuff with anyone else. Your chances for success are starting to look really good, Maya. I think Lucas is into you."

Maya rose a brow. "What?"

"Not like he wants to date you or anything. I doubt anyone would want to date you, quite frankly." He raised his hands placatingly when Maya shot him a lethal glare, "Not because you look like a night troll or anything! You're hot. But you're pretty intimidating."

"Oh. Well then thank you."

"But I think Lucas finds you fun. That's why he keeps messing with you. Most girls throw themselves at him, but you're the first one who's actually openly antagonized him and actually insulted him numerous times. And I think he likes it."

"So what?"

"So, keep it up. Your plan is working out great for you. It's giving you an advantage."

 _Is he attracted to someone being a bitch to him or something?_

She looked over her shoulder and glanced at Lucas. He was laughing at something one of his friends had said, waiting for her to finish up whatever it was she was talking about with Zay.

Maya nodded. "So what you're saying is that he might be something of a masochist?"

"I don't know." Zay laughed. "Maybe it was your chemistry. You two connected, I can tell."

Maya stared at him without blinking.

"What? Something on my face?"

"Zay," She shook her head in disgust. "I figured you had _some_ issues, but I didn't realize how extensive they were. I do not have _chemistry_ with Lucas Friar. We have no connection whatsoever except that I want to kick his ass."

"I know my boy." He smirked. "Don't say I didn't warn you."

"Yeah, well. You're wrong. There was no connection. There is no chemistry between us two."

"Alright." Zay slid his hands in his pockets. "Then try this experiment. Whenever or if ever you get the chance, tell Lucas that you think he's attracted to your personality. I can guarantee you his response will be the affirmative."

"Okay then. And when you're utterly wrong, I'll come back and laugh in your face."

"Looking forward to that, Maya." Zay said with a smile.

She snorted and spun out from under his arm. She sauntered back over to Lucas and his friends and grabbed hold of his shirt, pulling him away from the lockers to follow her before he could even react.

"C'mon. Let's go, you stupid Huckleberry. The sooner I'm out of your presence, the better."


	13. One Step Forward, Two Steps Back

**A/N: Still responding to PMs and stuff! Promise I'm getting through them slowly, but surely! Still an intro filler chapter with some goofy and odd antics I suppose? Or is it? Hmmmm (Lol but it's really fun to write vengeful verbal battles though ahaha).  
**

 **There's a significant lack of quality to this chapter simply because I wrote it fairly quickly. I'll go back sometime this week and fix up the descriptions for you guys! Apologies for that but use your imagination for anything hard to imagine lol.  
**

 **I appreciate all the sweet words and the support you guys have given me! Thank you for the reviews! I appreciate it very much! And please, always keep smiling and laughing in the face of adversity. It's you guy's strength that gives me the strength to smile too! :D  
**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own GMW or the characters, but shit... if I did... You guys better run... ヽ(￣д￣;)ノ=3=3=3**

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As Lucas rolled to a stop in front of their driveway, Maya started feeling a little trepidation. It wasn't just because Lucas would be in her home and be privy to her private life. It was also because he lived in the lap of luxury and her place looked like an absolute mess. She wasn't ashamed of her social class status, but she certainly didn't want to give Lucas more ammo in this battle they were in (even if he didn't realize they were currently at war). There was just something really nauseating about Lucas learning anything about her life.

It made her feel straight sick to her stomach.

"Looks like our moms already got a lot done." He commented, jutting his chin in the direction of the midsized U-Haul in the driveway next to the BMW that Maya assumed was Layla's.

The truck was already fairly filled up with a lot of their furniture and some of the storage boxes that still hadn't been unpacked. Maya wondered just how much of their stuff had been salvageable and suddenly became worried about what she would see when she walked in.

Maya unbuckled her seatbelt and hopped out of his truck, standing in the warm fall air and staring at her unfortunate puke yellow house with the crooked shingles that had clearly seen better days. As Lucas headed out of his car and walked around the front to her, she chanced a glance at him to gauge his reaction, but he was staring impassively, clearly looking like he'd rather be anywhere than here.

"So where is this stuff we have to move?"

Maya headed towards the side of the house, leading him through the cluttered backyard of their house to the kitchen door at the back porch and mentally hoping that the actual kitchen wouldn't look as bad as it did when she and her mother had left. The backyard was oddly devoid of any of the tools that usually littered the place and for a moment, Maya thought maybe the interior wouldn't be so bad.

She was hella fucking wrong.

The kitchen was utterly _destroyed_. Water damage all around. Pieces of wood and other debris from the walls scattered throughout the floor. It smelled of wet dog and wood and there was other gunk that had come from the ceiling on parts of the counter and floor. If that was what the kitchen looked like, she'd hate to see the living room, which had carpet.

 _Shit_ …

The worst part was the _huge_ gaping hole in the middle of the kitchen ceiling. Maya stared up at it incredulously, wondering how the hell it had gotten that bad. One side of the kitchen wall also had a hole and was cracked and crumbling pretty badly. It seemed like the damage had majorly increased overnight. This was terrible.

"Wow… this is a mess." Lucas said, voicing her thoughts.

Maya shot him a glare. Lucas was taking in the appearance of the kitchen with this indecipherable look on his face. It irritated her.

Was he making fun of her home?

"Not everyone can afford a carefree and luxurious lifestyle, you know." She snapped. "We don't all live in great places."

Lucas' gaze slowly went to her, his eyes narrowed. "What?"

"Just because this isn't some perfect mansion in perfect shape doesn't mean you can make fun of my home." Maya growled, "We weren't all born with silver spoons and diamond encrusted baby diapers."

Lucas laughed, a short, derogatory thing that only made the sneer on his lips even nastier than it already was. His eyes were glinting sharply, a kind of irritation etched in them that made the hairs on the back of Maya's neck rise.

"…Your assumption being that I've never had a difficulty a day in my life, despite the fact that you don't know me, yeah?" Lucas pointed out with a raised brow. "Judgemental, uptight bitch, stubborn. Really, how on earth did you manage to snag a boyfriend? It seems to me that all you've got going for you is your looks."

"You're one to talk. You're nothing but a vain, disgusting, arrogant, narcissistic _prick_. Not to mention the fact that you thought I wanted to have sex with _you_ obviously shows how deranged you are. And news flash, asshole. I snagged a boyfriend because despite what you might think, I'm a great person."

"Really? Great person? It's pretty hard to tell behind this self-righteous shrew thing you've got going on." Lucas shook his head with a scoff. "I don't believe for a second you could have even gotten that boyfriend without someone else's interference."

"I'm self-righteous? Hypocrite. This coming from the guy whose ego is so large they had to create a whole new measuring system for it. And you act like it's something to be proud of."

"I'm the hypocrite?" Lucas snorted, "You act offended when you assume I made a negative comment about your way of life and then turn around and give me shit about the way I live. Come up for air, baby. You're drowning."

Maya opened her mouth, ready to really tear him a new one (maybe wedge her heels into his shins), but before she could respond, their standoff was interrupted when Katy and Layla walked into the kitchen from the living room laughing about something.

"Maya! There you are." Katy said, "I was just about to call you."

"You two sure took your time getting here." Layla stated in concern, "What took you so long?"

"There was bad traffic all over the city." Lucas answered, though his irate glare remained on Maya. "No way to avoid it at that time."

She felt the strong urge to flip him off, but refrained on account of their mothers also standing there.

"Well, Katy and I have got the downstairs stuff covered. Besides, we're almost done down here. Lucas, can you help Maya with her dresser and any of her other furniture?"

"Where's your room?"

Maya sighed under her breath and spun on her heels, heading to the kitchen stairs and climbing them to go to her room, Lucas in tow. About halfway up, she remembered she was wearing a skirt and quickly flattened her hands against the back of it to keep it from flying up and possibly flashing him. She heard Lucas scoff incredulously behind her, but she didn't care. No way was she going to risk letting him look up her skirt as much as he wanted.

They headed down the hallway, each step as they approached making Maya more and more anxious. Before they entered her room, Maya suddenly spun around, stopping Lucas in his tracks with her hand. Maya wasn't one to keep any semblance of order in her room, and she knew she had left her dirty clothes and undergarments lying around since she didn't have a dirty clothes hamper at the moment. The mess would not be conducive to her seduction plans if he thought she was a slob. She had to clean it up first.

"Hold on. I have to clean up some stuff. Don't come in until I tell you."

Lucas rolled his eyes in annoyance, crossing his arms in front of his chest. "Who the fuck cares? Let's just get this done with. I told you I had to meet someone at seven."

"I care, Huckleberry. I mean it. Don't come in until I tell you to."

Lucas didn't respond, pulling out his phone with a low growl in irritation, and Maya entered her room, her nose almost automatically wrinkling at the stagnant scent of must in her room. She gathered most of the piles of dirty laundry and stuffed them inside one of her empty suitcases. After she made sure she didn't have anything else potentially embarrassing lying around, she made her way to her window, intending to open it and air out some of the room because it was a bit stuffy. If they had to keep lugging things from her room, she would rather they be able to breathe.

Maya tugged the step ladder in her room under her window and then climbed up on it, unlatching her circle window and pushing it slightly open. It was a little stiff as it squeaked in protest and Maya pushed harder, pulling herself through and climbing a little out of the window in order to force it open all the way. When she finally managed to get it open as far as it could go, her precarious off balance position and the fact that she no longer had the window as leverage to hold her up caused her to slip backwards. Her legs were dangling a bit, not quite touching the top of the ladder, and Maya gripped the frame to prevent herself from falling. She tried to pull herself up a little to find a better way to climb down.

And that's when Maya felt a snag on her skirt.

Blinking in surprise, she realized in dread that she must have gotten caught on the hook under her window. She tugged her leg a bit, hoping it could come free easily, but she felt the fabric tear a bit instead.

And she knew she was stuck.

Upper body halfway out the window, legs partially dangling, and ass poking out.

"Fuck… Are you serious right now?" Maya muttered.

She leaned a little backwards to try to see if she could figure out how tangled her clothes were on the hook, but she couldn't even move at all backwards to see it. And she definitely wouldn't be able to jerk free without possibly ripping the material. And on top of all that, Maya wasn't even sure she would be able to get out of her confinement without falling out the window, off the step ladder and hurting herself.

Her face twisting apprehensively, Maya could only think of one way she could get down. She closed her eyes with a groan, wondering if this kind of crazy shit was destined to continue to happen to her regarding anything with Lucas.

Swallowing her pride, she closed her eyes and called him over.

"Hey. Huckleberry. I'm stuck. Can you please help me?"

She heard her door creak open and then Lucas' footsteps as he walked across her carpet towards her. He stopped somewhere close behind her, laughing as he caught sight of her dilemma.

"Interesting view…" he said, the amusement in his tone making Maya bristle, "Where exactly are you stuck?"

This was a terrible idea.

"My skirt. It's caught on the hook under the window."

"And what exactly do you want me to do about it?"

She was well aware that if he got closer to help her, her ass would definitely be in his direct line of sight, not to mention she was sure her skirt had ridden up, but she had no choice when her only other option was to ruin a skirt that her mother had bought her during their shopping spree.

"Can you please help me get free? Seriously. I know you probably think this is funny—"

"I do, in fact."

"Shut up." Maya growled, "I know it looks funny, but the longer I'm stuck here, the longer it will take for us to move my stuff, the more likely you'll be late to meet whoever you're meeting at seven. So just get me down."

"You've got a point…" he muttered, his voice approaching until it was right behind her.

Maya inhaled sharply and stiffened uncomfortably when his arm came around her legs, holding her steady so he could look at the snag. He chuckled under his breath when Maya jerked slightly when his fingers lightly trailed her thigh.

"I don't think I can get you down unless I rip it."

"Do not rip my skirt!" she barked, ignoring the look she got from a neighbour jogging on the street below. Hadn't they ever seen someone partially hanging out a window before? "Can't you just like lift me higher or something?"

"It's not the whole skirt that's stuck though. It's a bunch of loose threads and stray strings… How the fuck did you get stuck like this in the first place?"

"I slipped backwards trying to push the window open."

Lucas snorted. "I know how to get you down. Just don't move around."

She could feel his hand toggling with the fabric caught on the hook and waited impatiently, feeling total unease with the fact that he was that close to her. And that he had a front row view of her ass. If he so chose, he could easily stoop and look up her skirt, especially since she knew with each of his motions, her skirt was riding higher and higher up her legs. She sincerely hoped her panties weren't exposed.

 _Next time Maya, don't climb to high places, don't climb ladders, and don't go near roofs without pants on._

"You better not try to look up my skirt…" Maya growled for good measure. "I'll horse kick you in the face."

"That would be too easy with you in this position." Lucas stopped for a moment, and she could just feel the smirk on his face. "Besides, hate to break it to you, but I'm not interested."

Maya's eyes narrowed. "Really? This coming from a playboy. You wouldn't take a peek under a skirt if given the opportunity?"

"I may have specific interests in women, but I'm not a creep." Lucas said, "If I didn't know better, I would say it sounds like you _want_ me to look under your skirt, Shortstack."

"Please. The only thing I'm doing is calling you out on your bullshit." Maya pressed, "You're lying through your teeth about a lack of interest. I can feel your gaze on my ass. Guys like you are so generic. Scantily clad girl is your type."

"Well that's not a lie." He laughed, tugging some more on her skirt. "But you aren't my type. I'm not really a fan of cut my balls off midget bitches. I like my girls more put together than you."

"You're still lying." Maya said confidently, drawing her argument from her Psych class earlier that afternoon and what Zay had told her, "Because the root of physical attraction is an attraction to the likeability of the person. And you're attracted to my personality. And to me. Admit it."

"Maybe I am. Doesn't mean much." Lucas replied in boredom, completely nonchalant in his response, "I'm generally attracted to anyone who shows a bit of leg."

Oh hell no.

Zay had definitely been right about him responding in the affirmative. Not only that, but Lucas had admitted his attraction fairly easily, like it was not a thing at all.

But no way was this asshole going to try to snatch _her_ victory when she'd just gotten him to admit his attraction by acting like it was irrelevant.

"Oh is that so?" Maya snarked, "So you're attracted to little old ladies who show their legs too? What a disgusting pig."

Lucas snorted. "Touché."

She felt a slight pull when her skirt loosened from the hook, and then she slowly let go of the frame to get herself back down. Her feet fully touched the ladder again. Maya let out a sigh of relief, vowing to herself to never wear a damn skirt trying to climb windows from now on.

"Touché? That all you got? Aw, what's wrong, Huckleberry?" Maya finally said to him once she had gotten her balance, "Can't keep up with me?"

She had expected a response from him fairly quickly since he seemed to be in a pretty spiteful mood.

But he didn't respond.

Maya turned around, wondering why he had suddenly gone silent and noticed the annoyed gleam in his eyes. Then he slowly dragged his gaze up to hers. Maya's breath hitched when his eyes hit some of the light streaming in through the window and she was reminded just how gorgeous his sea foam coloured eyes truly were.

His eyes narrowed when they met hers, and suddenly, the moth trapped in the spider's web analogy came to the forefront of her mind when his lips slowly curved up into a slight sneer.

She didn't even realize what he was doing until his hands were on her waist, and he pulled her roughly, yanking her off of the step ladder. Maya yelped as she lost her balance and fell forward, tumbling right into him as he caught her fall. Maya's body collided with his and a little dazed by the sudden motion, she grasped his shoulders to try to steady herself.

"Are you a dumbass?!" Maya shouted, glaring up at him. "I'm wearing heels! I could have twisted an ankle or gotten hurt!"

She gasped slightly when one of his arms snaked around her back, hooking her to him, and he spoke deliberately low, his gaze burning intensely as he stared down at her.

" _Keep up with you_? I think the better question is if you can keep up with me. I do have a lot of stamina, you know?"

She knew exactly what he was insinuating, and it disgusted every fiber of her being.

"I didn't even mean it that way, but if that's really the game you want to play, then fine." Maya spat, trying to put a bit more distance between them by pushing against his shoulders. She did not like the fact that she was almost completely pressed up against him. "I can definitely keep up with you, you boor. I'd probably last longer than you too."

She was well aware that goading him with an implication like that wasn't necessarily the best way to go about this, especially since it would throw her plan off balance since she hadn't even achieved sexual prospect status yet, but he had annoyed her with his constant stupid comments regarding her abilities in bed. She just wanted him to shut up already.

"Really?" he murmured with a smirk, his hold tightening minutely on her as his gaze settled on her lips, "Why don't we test that theory right now?"

Maya fought the shiver that ran down her back, though she wasn't sure she was particularly successful in hiding it, seeing as how Lucas' smirk grew. Her eyes narrowed when his hand slid down and settled on her ass.

Did he really think he had the upperhand?

Maya leaned even further backwards, glaring up at him, but he didn't relinquish his hold. He watched her in amusement, that same mocking look in his eyes that he'd been sporting since they first made each other's acquaintance.

"…Though I don't expect much considering you're probably shitty in bed." He said, a slight treacherous gleam to his eyes. He was doing this shit to rile her up. To get a rise out of her and make her mad. And the worst part was it was actually working. "A one maybe. You've got nice legs though. How flexible are you?"

With a snarl, Maya drove her knee up, intending to knee him where the sun don't shine, officially fed up with his commentary, but he anticipated it and stopped her knee with a dangerous glint in his eyes as he rose a brow.

And she knew she was fucked.

Before she could even react, he shifted his grip on her, hoisting her up and tossing her over his shoulder. Maya squealed in alarm at her center of gravity suddenly shifting before she could stop it.

"Don't underestimate me. I know all of your moves before they even happen, Shortstack." Lucas chuckled as Maya squirmed to get out of his grasp. "I think the one who can't keep up is you."

"Put me down, you fucking dumbass!" Maya seriously considered grabbing his hair and yanking it to get him to put her down, but before she could do anything, her mom walked by her room door.

"Maya? Have you moved any…?"

Katy tapered off as she walked in, a brow raising as she stared at the two of them. Maya knew her face was utterly flushed when she met her mother's eyes and saw the confusion and the slight twinkle of excitement in her gaze.

 _Crap_.

This couldn't look good. They were in her bedroom with Maya tossed over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes. Maya could only just imagine what was going through her mother's mind.

"…What's going on in here, guys?" Katy asked slowly. "I thought you would have at least moved some furniture by now."

"We'll get to moving furniture in a few minutes, Ms. Hart." Lucas said, turning around to face her with a smile, but still not putting Maya down.

"You sure?" Katy asked suspiciously, "Because I'm not sure how much you'd be able to get done with her up on your shoulder like that."

 _Yes mom! Tell him!_

"We had a little _mishap_. I had to make sure there weren't any injuries."

"Oh! You protected her?" Katy sounded way too excited and Maya groaned.

Lucas was clearly a master of twisting words. None of what he'd said was particularly false. He'd just stated it in a way that didn't make it seem problematic. That made it seem like he was the good guy in the situation, when clearly he was the villain.

"Something like that…" Lucas said cryptically.

"Can you please put me down?" Maya asked again through grit teeth, trying to maintain her patience.

She was this close to sinking her claws into his back.

"As soon as it's safe." Lucas said softly, fake sweetly, readjusting his grip around Maya when she struggled in his grasp.

"Well if you guys could start moving the stuff, that would be great." Katy smiled a little goofy, gushing over his false protection. "Let me know if you need any help, Lucas."

"I think we should be just fine, ma'am."

Katy near skipped out the door, and Maya groaned again, hating that her mother was so easily duped by Lucas' stupid gentleman act. She had to be careful to make sure Lucas never was alone with her mom. For obvious reasons that he apparently had a thing for her, but also because she had a feeling Katy would easily be coaxed into revealing secrets and embarrassing things about Maya that she was sincerely hoping Lucas would never find out. It was dangerous all around.

"We're not going to have any more violence are we, darling? I might just have to keep you up here if that's the case." Lucas said playfully, once Katy had left.

"I'm going to kick your ass. Put me down."

"We're going to have to work on your listening skills." He chuckled. "Why would I put you down if I was just threatened with bodily harm?"

"You're vile."

"Have you calmed down?"

She was going to clobber him. Judo flip him into another stratosphere.

"I can't stand you."

"So you've said multiple times. Feeling's mutual."

Lucas finally stooped and set her down, and Maya was unbelievably tempted to kick him in the shins or something. She huffed in annoyance, flipping her hair over her shoulder and running her hand through it to get it out of her face. Lucas laughed, watching her as she vehemently tugged down her skirt and readjusted her clothes.

"You are right though… I do like the way your ass looks in that skirt. It's kind of a waste on you."

Maya's lips curled in disgust. He was being particularly vicious with the insults today.

"You want to talk about a waste?" Maya rolled her eyes. "Try the fact that you've got more dick in your personality than in your pants, Sundance."

"Careful, baby. Making claims like that will make me want to prove you wrong." He murmured softly, chucking Maya's chin derogatorily. She slapped his hand away, gritting her teeth in irritation. "And I don't think you're ready for _all_ of me."

Maya was momentarily stunned speechless.

Why the hell was he thwarting her so easily today? She hated how he had the upper hand. She was so off her game it wasn't even funny. But who could blame her? She had been flung into the worse living arrangement to ever exist without any say in the matter and the only thing she could do about it was accept it and deal with living with him. She was still reeling from it and trying to recover from this morning.

"You are literally the worst person I have ever met."

"That all you've got for me? Where's the fire, Shortstack?" he quipped nastily, "What? _Can't keep up with me_?"

Maya took a deep breath, closing her eyes momentarily to calm herself down. She ignored his comment, storming through her room to move some of her other stuff out of the way so they could more easily move the dresser. She fought the urge to snatch up her step ladder and attempt to smash it over his head.

"Just shut up."

Lucas started laughing, and Maya grit her teeth in annoyance. She hated to admit it, but Lucas had definitely bested her this time. He'd been besting her all day.

Fuck.

 _Maya-2. Lucas-2._

Not only had he gotten under her skin, but he'd also managed to take her off guard and use her size against her. It didn't even matter that she'd gotten confirmation of his attraction. He was clearly a step ahead of her, and even though she was completing goals in her plan to seduce him, it didn't make a difference because he wasn't reacting to those goals the way she had been hoping he would. It was like she'd taken one step forward in her plan, but fallen two steps back in her actual seduction.

And she didn't have that much time. She knew if she didn't step her game up, she'd definitely be overtaken.

Maya swallowed thickly. It looked like it was time to start thinking about her next step in her plan because she had a feeling it would take a lot longer than she had anticipated.

Now the only question was where to start.

And who to use.


	14. More Than One Side To A Coin

**A/N: HAPPY BELATED BIRTHDAY LILY! xDDD I tried my best to write this yesterday after my exam, but LOL I wiped out as soon as my head hit my pillow. I hope you had a fantastic birthday though, love :3  
**

 **Alright, let's continue on with this mess of a story. Let's have some advancements ;D  
**

 **Thank you guys for the super sweet reviews! You guys are so sweet and I really appreciate everything you all have done for me. Honestly, I can't thank you enough for all that you've done for me. I appreciate it so much! :)  
**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own GMW or the characters, but shit... if I did... You guys better run... ヽ(￣д￣;)ノ=3=3=3**

* * *

"I have to make a quick stop." Lucas said, pulling into the parking lot of an apartment complex.

Maya glowered at him. "Why can't you bring me back to your place first?"

They'd managed to finish moving all the furniture with Layla and Katy to the U-Haul. Thankfully, everything had fit for the most part in the U-Haul with the exception of some of the boxes of her stuff going in the back of Lucas' truck. Maya had wanted to ride with her mom and Layla, but Katy had put stuff in the backseat of Layla's car so unfortunately that wasn't an option. Plus, they were heading over to the shop to get Katy's car since she'd left it to get the rear axle realigned so her car could be in better shape when she started making deliveries. And Maya got stuck riding with Loathsome Lucas.

"Because it's seven fifteen. Maybe if it hadn't taken you so damn long to move your furniture, you could've been back by now." He cut off the car's engine and pulled the keys out of the keyhole. He reached over and opened the glove compartment, rummaging through the clutter before he pulled out a blue envelope. Then he opened the door and got out of the car. "Stay here. I'll be back in a second."

"Hold on! I have to—"

Lucas shut his door and walked towards one of the complexes behind where he'd parked before she could finish her statement, and Maya grit her teeth angrily. She had to take a damn piss! There didn't seem to be a leasing office in this general area of the complexes. And obviously there weren't any public restrooms in the complex either.

Maya groaned under her breath, closing her eyes and squeezing her legs together, knowing she wouldn't last. The last thing she wanted to do was spill in her skirt in his car. That would be the ultimate most embarrassing thing to ever possibly happen to her, and she _knew_ he would never let her live it down if she actually did end up wetting herself. The idea of that happening was just mortifying to her.

Plus, she didn't know how long he meant when he said "a second". He could very well mean longer than that. And knowing his track record, he could very well also be here for some rendezvous. It made the most sense after all. An apartment complex. Him wanting her to stay in his car. And it would definitely be longer than a second. Maya had heard about some guys who could finish quick, but one second? That was a little ridiculous. At the very least, it would be five minutes.

And there was no way she was going to suffer and try to hold it in when she had to go. She could only hold it for so long.

Not to mention, there was that envelope he'd taken out of the glove compartment. What if it was a child support check? What if Lucas had a kid in the city?

Curiosity officially peaked, without another thought, Maya opened the door and hopped out of his car. She hurried across the parking lot, double timing to catch up to Lucas, who had moved surprisingly fast and already was inside. She entered the apartment complex she had seen him go towards and looked around. She looked at the stairs and saw Lucas heading up them.

Maya rushed after him, climbing the steps two at a time and mentally thanking the fact that she had spent the majority of her middle school and early high school life wearing heels and thus wasn't tripping all over herself. She reached the second floor landing and glanced down both sides of the hall, hoping he had gotten off here because she didn't know how much time she had left to play hide and seek. Thankfully, she spotted Lucas in front of one of the doors towards the right, texting on his phone as he waited for whoever it was to open the door.

Maya straightened out her skirt and approached him. When she was a few paces away from him, Lucas noticed her and turned his head towards her, his brows rising in surprise.

"What the fuck are you doing here?" he growled.

"Shut up, asshole." Maya snapped when she reached him.

"I told you to stay in the car."

"You think I'm going to listen to you?"

Lucas' eyes narrowed, but before he could respond, the apartment door in front of them swung open. A gorgeous auburn haired girl with cherry brown eyes stepped a bit out of the doorway, smiling when she saw Lucas. When she saw Maya though, her gaze turned inquisitive and a little bit confused. She looked older than them. Not by a whole lot, but Maya could tell for sure that she was probably in college or just about done with it.

"I told you it would only take a second." Lucas continued, still glowering at Maya. "What part of that didn't you understand?"

"I understood all of it perfectly. And I chose to disregard it. You shouldn't have told me to stay in the car anyway."

"Well where else would you stay? None of this concerns you."

"Yeah? Well, I have to take a piss. So either I stayed in your car and leaked and fucked up your seat or I came with you so I could discharge said piss in a toilet. I think I made a prudent decision, don't you?"

"Classy." Lucas said sarcastically, a sneer on his lips, "You kiss your mother with that mouth?"

"As a matter of fact, I do."

"I'm sure she must enjoy that." he drawled.

"Lucas, who's she?" The girl in the doorway said with a laugh. "She's funny."

Lucas' rolled his eyes. "She's nobody. A freeloader at my house."

Maya calmly turned to him with a tight smile and stomped her heel straight on his foot. Lucas grunted in pain, wincing from the impact, his expression darkening as his gaze snapped to Maya in irritation.

 _Oh. You mad, bro?_

"Rude asshole. I'm not a _freeloader_ at your house."

"He definitely deserved that one." The girl laughed again, reaching out her hand to Maya. Her accent was _thick_. Much thicker than even Layla's, and Layla had the thickest accent of anyone Maya had met in Texas thus far. "Gina Glenwood. Most people call me GG."

Maya shook her hand. "Maya Hart."

"Also known as The Bitch." Lucas muttered, glaring at her.

"You want me to knock out your teeth?" Maya spat. "I'll shove this heel up your ass, you dick."

"You know, I think you need another time out." Lucas said lowly through grit teeth, his tone even, though there was something slightly dangerous hidden in it. "Maybe I should toss you over my shoulder again."

"Try it." Maya rose a brow in challenge, crossing her arms in front of her chest. "I dare you."

Lucas slowly turned to face her directly, a sharp glint in his eyes that made Maya's pulse race. He wouldn't, would he? He wasn't actually going to pick her up again, was he? Maya's eyes narrowed as she stared up at him defiantly. If he dared do that shit again, she would pull his hair out.

"Lucas, c'mon. Don't be rude." Gina chastised, leaning against her doorway with a quirked brow. "You know you totally deserved that."

"Fine." Lucas rolled his eyes, sighing in resignation as he faced Gina.

Maya was actually surprised, her stiff shoulders dropping along with her guard. Had Lucas actually conceded? Who was this girl, and how the hell had she managed the impossible feat of making Lucas 'I'm An Asshole' Friar actually shut up?

"Well are you going to come in?" Gina asked. "Don't worry. I've got plenty of room for your girlfriend."

"She's not my girlfriend." Lucas frowned. "And it's fine. I just came to give you this."

He pulled the same blue envelope from his pocket, handing it to Gina with a small smile.

"What's this?"

"Birthday gift. I missed it a couple days ago. I'm sorry about that. So happy belated birthday GG."

"Thank you." Gina stared at the envelope in her hand, an earsplitting grin on her face. "You're so sweet to me, Lucas."

She stepped forward and rose up on her tiptoes, kissing him softly on the cheek.

Maya suddenly felt a little awkward watching the exchange, knowing she was intruding on some private moment. But who the hell was _this_ Lucas? Sweet and not as abrasive. Better yet, who was Gina? One of Lucas' lovers? But from the looks of it, it didn't really seem like she had an interest in Lucas like that. Maybe Lucas had an interest in her?

"You sure you and your girlfriend don't want to stick around for a little bit longer? I've got some time before I have to drive to my class. I can entertain some guests."

"She's not my girlfriend." Lucas repeated. "And it's fine. I've gotta go anyway. But can she use your bathroom?"

"Sure you can use it, Maya. First door down that hallway around the corner." Gina said congenially, jerking her thumb in the direction of the hallway. "The one with the hanger on the knob."

"Thanks." Maya said gratefully, making her way past the living room and towards the hallway off of the kitchen.

Gina's apartment was really nice. Tastefully decorated and quaint. It was a little bare, but Maya figured that would be the case for someone in college. There was some _divine_ smell coming from the kitchen, but Maya forced her curiosity and hunger down, walking into the equally tastefully decorated bathroom.

She took care of her business quickly, flushed the toilet and meticulously washed her hands when she was done. Maya turned off the lights and headed out of the bathroom, walking back down the hallway towards the living room. She heard Gina laugh, and Maya slowed her gait, stopping before she reached the open space.

Maya didn't consider herself particularly nosy, but she would be lying if she said she wasn't curious about this strange Lucas she'd been seeing. She poked her head around the corner, watching the two exchange words near the door.

"Has he said anything?" Lucas asked seriously.

"Not anything more than the usual." Gina shrugged.

Maya couldn't see Gina's expression since her back was facing her, but judging by Lucas' expression softening—which was honestly unbelievable—she figured Gina didn't look particularly pleased.

"I'm sorry." he said.

Gina chuckled. "You're always trying to act like this grown adult. I'm older than you, you know?"

"I know." Lucas chuckled, a genuine smile on his face. Maya stared at him, her brows rising on her forehead. It was shocking. It didn't look like a smirk or a sneer, but a genuine smile that she'd never seen on his face before. And it was actually pretty fucking attractive. It made him look a little more boyish, less like some nasty, womanizing guy and more like someone caring and compassionate. "I just feel like I should take care of you."

"Dumbass." She shook her head in amusement and stepped into him, sliding her arms around him and snuggling against his chest. Lucas returned the hug, this fond, warm look in his eyes that stunned Maya even more. She'd never seen _that_ expression on his face either. "You're the best."

Maya decided she should make herself known. She'd been gone long enough by that point. Maya doubled back, walking away from the corner before again making her way towards the living room, this time making sure her steps could be heard as she rounded the corner. When she came back out and glanced at Lucas, his expression was back to the bored one he usually sported.

"Thanks for letting me use your bathroom." Maya said as she made her way back next to Lucas at the doorway.

"No problem, Maya. Say, where are you from? You sound like a New Yorker."

"Yeah. I am. What gave it away?"

"The way you said Hart and ass. I thought maybe I was hearing something there." Gina responded with a smile. "But that's really cool. I've always wanted to go, but college is so expensive. I don't have money to travel."

"That's too bad. It's a pretty interesting place. A lot of great shit there. I think you'd like it."

"I know I will. And I'd definitely love to hear more about it, but I know you two have to go. Come back with Lucas sometime soon, okay? I'd love to get to know his girlfriend."

Maya chuckled awkwardly, running a hand through her hair. Clearly Gina refused to believe she wasn't his girlfriend. That in fact, they weren't even friends of any sort and that she wanted break Lucas' nose 99% of the time. But no way in hell was Maya going to correct her and say they weren't associated with each other at all but Maya was fixing to seduce him and then drop him like a hot potato once she'd won a car from a bet.

"I'll be back later this week, okay?" Lucas said, clearly not trying to correct her anymore either. Maya had a feeling Gina was probably a stubborn gal.

"Alright. Don't be a stranger, Lucas."

"I won't."

"Bye Maya."

"Bye."

Maya followed Lucas out and back through the complex as they made their way out. Maya stared at the back of his head, walking languidly behind him and pondering his strange earlier behaviour. He had almost seemed like a completely different person back there. But she didn't believe it. He had to have been putting on an act. And she could prove it.

Maya ignored the voice in her head that sounded suspiciously like Missy telling her that she only wanted to prove Lucas was faking because she wasn't sure how to process him as anything other than asshole delinquent playboy. And not knowing how to process him would make her seduction a little more difficult to figure out because it would add another mysterious layer to him that would require more deciphering and more delving deep.

Great. She'd been friends with Missy for two weeks, and she was already in her head…

Once they'd reached his car, she climbed back into the passenger seat, pulling on her seatbelt as Lucas did the same.

"Gina's nice." Maya said nonchalantly.

Lucas gave her look out of the corner of his eye but didn't respond as he started his car and pulled out of the parking lot so they could head back to his place.

"So you're trying to screw college girls now? Sorry for being a cockblocker." Maya snarked unapologetically, trying to get a rise out of him. She had no doubt he had been trying to get some ass, and she'd prevented that from happening with her interruption. "Saved you the trouble of your unrequited crush, though. Take it from me. From the standpoint of a woman, I can already tell you she's way out of your league. Probably isn't interested in some high school senior with an overactive libido."

"I'm not in the mood for games today." Lucas growled. "Shut the fuck up and find entertainment elsewhere."

He actually did sound kind of pissed off. Maya was a little put off by his clearly dark mood. Yes, she was aware that it kind of felt like she was poking at a sleeping bear, and that if she wasn't careful, he would snap. But no way was she going to back off when she was succeeding in outing him as a fraud. Lucas wasn't sweet. She would prove it.

"What's got your panties in a twist?" Maya cooed, "Oh wait, I'm sorry. Did I touch a nerve, baby? Too hurt to respond?"

Lucas' lips pulled up in a sardonic smirk, his grip on the wheel tightening.

 _Ha. Success._

"Standpoint of a _woman_?" Lucas snorted, "I sure hope you're not talking about yourself. You've got about as much womanly sex appeal as a cow."

Maya mentally patted herself on the back, proud of herself for successfully managing to rile him up enough to respond. She hadn't been wrong. He had been putting on an act back there no doubt. His asshole response to her just then proved it.

"That's rich coming from you, Mr. I Fuck Everything With Two Legs. Maybe even four legs…" she added snidely. "Thanks for the insult, but I'd still rather have my supposed cow-ish sex appeal than be some nasty playboy. I hope you got your shots, because you seem like you're a walking STD."

"I'm safe." Lucas glanced at her, his expression suddenly going dangerously smug. "I didn't know you were so concerned over it, Shortstack. I got the message though. Were you trying to get a turn one day? Needed confirmation?"

"What is wrong with you? It's like you've got sex on the brain twenty-four seven."

"Maybe if you ever got any, you'd understand why."

"Revolting." Maya rolled her eyes with a sigh, staring out the window and wishing they'd just get to his home already so that she would no longer have to be in his presence. She'd overdone it and now he was on full force. "Does your mom know about your disgusting extracurricular activities? How many girls you've screwed in your lifetime?"

"I think she chooses to ignore it." Lucas chuckled. "Listen, darling. I'm flattered by your concerns, but you and me having sex? It's never going to happen. I'd rather have sex with a cow than you. I think you should give it up."

 _Oh yes it will happen._ _And you're going to end up crawling back for more._

The rest of the ride was spent in silence, only Lucas' radio filling the air as Maya stared at the passing scenery. She didn't quite know why she felt relieved of all things, but she did. She supposed it was because she was glad knowing that Lucas had been faking it when he was acting sweet and gentle. It only served to reinforce her desire to break him.

When they got back to the house, Maya could see the U-Haul in front of the house and figured her mom had probably already gotten back.

There was also some girl standing next to her own car, hands on her hips. Maya squinted her eyes as they travelled down the driveway. Maya realized it was Nikki. Lucas stopped his truck near the fountain, the trunk closer to the stairs for easier transport of the boxes set in there.

"Isn't that your little toy?" Maya asked.

"Yeah." Lucas said, rolling his eyes.

 _Guess that means not for much longer…_

They both got out of his car. Maya made eye contact with Nikki and as expected, her expression soured. She approached Lucas with a pout as he leaned against his truck, arms crossed boredly in front of his chest.

"So the rumours are true? _She's_ living with you?" Nikki said in disdain. Maya rolled her eyes to the sky. What the hell had she even done to Nikki—well, aside from conspiring to try to seduce Lucas, but she didn't know that. Girls were ridiculous sometimes. Maya was sure if she was still dressed in her paint splattered jeans and baggy sweaters, Nikki wouldn't care at all. "I don't like it, Lucas."

"She and her mom are just staying with me for the time being." He replied steadily, no change in his expression.

"But if you live with another girl," she whined, wrapping her arms around his neck and leaning in close, "who's to say she won't try to sink her claws into you?"

"I mean, if it happens, it happens." He rose a brow.

Maya scoffed, shaking her head with a sneer of disgust as she unlatched the back of his truck to get some of her stuff.

"Will you at least try to stop her?"

"Probably not."

" _Lucas_!"

He wasn't even trying to pacify the clearly upset girl.

Maya did not find his hobby of sleeping with girls impressive in any way, but she did have to admit the way he was handling her _was_ pretty impressive. Detached and fairly cold, but just provocative enough to not seem totally disinterested. No doubt he was probably used to jealous girls bugging him all the time and had developed a system. And Nikki was clearly buying right into it. Despite the fact that he'd all but said he would sleep with another girl if she came onto him, Nikki was still looking at him with this dazed look on her face, like all she needed was Lucas to hold her.

 _Good God, what the fuck did he do to her?_

It kind of scared Maya. Lucas really was a master of words. And no doubt he had some sort of step by step system to get girls into his bed and this clingy. A seasoned playboy who definitely knew exactly what he was doing. She was starting to think maybe Lucas was a bit more dangerous than she gave him credit for.

But she did not like being talked about in the third person nor did she like their insinuations that she would try to get with him. (Even if it was true). The buttheads.

"It's fine, babe. Chill out."

"No, it is not fine! I don't like her being in the same house as you! I don't want her to—"

Her words were cut off with a sharp gasp when Lucas pulled her closer by the hips and shut her up with a pretty vulgar kiss. Nikki near melted in his arms, moaning into his mouth as he deepened it. Maya cringed, honestly a little grossed out by it. Not so much the kissing—though it wasn't pleasant either—but by the fact that this girl was so obsessed with Lucas that she was letting him play her like a puppet master, not even realizing that he was controlling the strings.

When he pulled slowly away from Nikki, she looked dazed and was swooning, her face absolutely flustered.

"I told you it's fine. I'm not interested in her." he said, his eyes burning with a heat that made Maya's brows rise in surprise, and she wasn't even the one he was turning his sultry gaze onto.

 _Holy shit._

This was the first time she'd really seen him turn it on for real. She'd _barely_ gotten a glimpse when he kept messing with her that morning. But she could tell now that he hadn't really tried. Even now, she didn't think he was actually trying. And honestly, she could kind of see why some girls acted a fool over him. He had _unbelievable_ sexual magnetism. Maya could even feel it from her location.

Nikki opened her mouth to respond, and Lucas reached up, gently placing his finger on her lips to stop her from saying anything.

"Shhh… Go back home, take a bubble bath, and relax." Lucas said with a charming smile, slowly moving some hair out of her face. Nikki's face flushed, her eyelashes fluttering, lost to his darkened, heady gaze. "Nothing's going to happen, okay?"

"You promise?" she asked, batting her eyelashes.

"I promise."

"Mmkay." She giggled, letting go of Lucas. "See you at school?"

"Yeah."

Nikki walked back over to her car with a bright smile on her face. She hopped back inside before driving off. Maya watched as she left, wondering if she had actually just watched that happen. It was like hypnosis, only without the whole 'you are getting sleepy bit'. Seriously. What the fuck did Lucas do to her? Nikki was so gone it wasn't even funny.

Maya fake gagged loudly, her face twisting in disgust as she tugged one of her boxes closer to the edge.

"Eww. Get a room, you sex crazed maniac."

"Jealous?" Lucas ran a hand through his hair, leaning back against his truck.

Maya finally snatched the box from the back and made her way towards the stairs, but not before her eyes briefly met his. He didn't particularly have an expression on his face but his eyes still held that slight heated intensity to them as he watched her, and Maya quickly averted her gaze, her stomach flipping for a moment as a chill ran down her back.

She walked up the spiral stairs and through the open doorway of the house, letting out a long sigh as she stared at the foyer, dread creeping down her back.

This was her life now. Living with Lucas Friar the absolute asshole playboy.

Almost as if on cue, she caught his scent behind her, and she stiffened, taking a couple involuntary, accidental steps backwards and bumping into his chest.

"Welcome home, _Maya_." he murmured, his lips right beside her ear, the soft tufts of his breath tickling her.

The way he said her name made a shiver of disgust run down her back, and she took a wide step forward, putting more distance between them. She spun around and glared up at him as he chuckled at her reaction, picking the box he had set on the ground up and walking towards the large set of spiraling stairs leading upstairs.

"And the nightmare begins…"


	15. Ready, Set, Reset

**A/N: I just want to say one thing: Mina are you a mind reader LOL? When I saw your review, I was soooo surprised that you predicted something. Well, I guess that's what to expect when I write a cliché story ahahaha! :3  
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 **This might be the last update of this week because I have consecutive exams the rest of the week and multiples on Thursday. But I'll try to answer PMs on and off. I'm gone until Monday (WHEN BREAK STARTS! FINALLY!). But let's learn a little more about Maya, yeah? Also, this is the last introduction chapter. (ahahaha! only took 15 chappies...)  
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 **Thank you guys for all of your kind words! You all are so wonderful and it means so much to me to have you guys as readers! I know I have a long way to go but I absolutely promise I will continue to work hard so that I can improve! :)  
**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own GMW or the characters, but shit... if I did... You guys better run... ヽ(￣д￣;)ノ=3=3=3**

* * *

Maya set down the last of the box of her things next to the wall with a soft grunt before straightening and slapping her hands together to get rid of the dust.

That was that.

She'd officially moved all of her stuff into this guest room.

No.

Not guest room anymore. This was _her_ temporary room now.

"This is so weird…" Maya muttered to herself as she slipped out of her heels and tossed them off to the side.

She almost mewled at how soft and plush the carpet felt under her feet as she wiggled her toes. It was so soft and comfortable, she knew if she slept on the floor, it wouldn't make any difference from sleeping on the bed.

But it did feel a little weird being in this room, as it always did whenever Maya started in a new environment. When she and Katy had moved into their new apartment after her second marriage. Their house when they'd moved to Austin. And now Lucas' place. But this place was definitely the most intense of them all. It kind of felt like she was staying in a hotel.

Don't get her wrong, she _loved_ the house and the furnishings and how huge and amazing it was, but it would definitely take her some time to get used to it.

Her thoughts were broken when there was knock on her door frame.

"Knock, knock, baby girl." Katy said, walking into the room and approaching her.

Maya glanced at her over her shoulder. "Mom, this feels so weird."

"I know." Katy agreed, looking around her room. "I think it's just because of how fancy this place is. Even my honeymoon hotel wasn't as nice as this."

"That's true. But dad didn't have all that much money to spend either…" Maya muttered.

Maya caught Katy's slight grimace before she had a chance to rectify her expression. She instantly felt bad.

"Sorry. Ex-dad."

"No, it's okay." Katy sighed, rubbing her arm and looking out the window. "He _was_ your father for three years. And I'm over it. Mostly."

"If it's any consolation," Maya joked with a half smile, joining her mother in front of the window, "you were always my favourite parent."

Katy snorted, rolling her eyes sarcastically. "Gee thanks, baby girl. I didn't know there was competition between the parent you had for three years and the one who spent twenty seven hours pushing your giant head out of her vagina."

Maya chuckled, and they both stared out of the window at the expansive backyard. The fountain in the manmade pond was lit up, sparkling beautifully in the diminishing light of the day. From this raised angle overlooking the entire back, it was pretty easy to see just how huge the backyard was. And it was absolutely gorgeous landscaping too with one of the walkways leading to what seemed to be a flower garden in full bloom. The view was amazing. Maya briefly wondered if there was a possible way to get on the roof and made a mental note to ask Layla.

"Maya," Katy said apologetically, breaking the silence, "I know this is not exactly the start we were hoping to have in Austin, but I'll make it up to you eventually, baby girl. And for making you have to move."

"Mom. I promise you it's okay. I'm just happy that you're happy right now. I can make at least that sacrifice for you." Maya said with a smile, "Besides, who else would I live with other than you? I can't leave you."

"Thank you, Maya." Katy reached out and tucked some hair behind her ear before gently stroking her cheek. "I was thinking, since we've been out of New York for a while, want to just chill tonight and catch up? We can paint each other's toenails and talk about life and adjusting. I know you used to do that with Riley a lot, but since she's not here, I could be a substitute. I do have to get up early for work tomorrow, but I can stay up for a bit longer than usual."

"Sure Mom."

"Great! We'll do mother-daughter time. We can spazz over the size of this house and all the luxurious stuff. And if you want…" Katy drew out the word, her eyes sparkling in a way that made Maya wholly uncomfortable. "We can even talk about cute boys you might be interested in. Like Lu—"

"Mom, if you finish your statement, this whole chill night thing is off." Maya cut in.

Katy laughed. "I have to go finish unpacking some of my stuff, but I'll come back when I'm done."

"Alright."

Katy made her way out and Maya sighed, looking at the boxes she had to open and suitcases full of clothes she had to sort out. It was like moving all over again complete with the time consuming and rather annoying need to sort everything and find places for everything once again. At least the furniture was already there and had already been arranged and the entire room was furnished, so Maya didn't have to worry about doing that herself. Layla had told her to feel free to rearrange the room however she so chose, but Maya honestly was too lazy to do that at the moment.

She sighed again, running a hand through her mess of waves and knowing none of this stuff would get cleaned up unless she put aside her laziness and started on the unpacking process. It would be long and tedious, but she had to force herself to do it. The sooner she fixed it up and put everything in place to make it more home-y, the more quickly she could assimilate herself to life in the Friar mansion.

As she picked up her phone from the desk to play some music as she got to work, it suddenly started ringing, announcing a call. She glanced down at the screen.

And subsequently froze when she saw the image with the Caller ID.

Blue eyes were staring up at her. Dancing blue eyes on a charming face with an attractive crooked smile that had always made her heart race.

Kind of like it was doing now.

 _Josh?_

Her heart started pounding hard in her chest, her jaw a bit slackened as she blinked at the screen. There was no way. He couldn't be calling her. It had to be a fluke.

Maya stared at her phone, not moving at all, and the call ended, the alert for missed call showing up on the screen.

The room fell into silence.

And then her ringtone began to play again, Josh's face showing up on the screen once again. It wasn't a fluke. Not if he was calling twice.

Slowly, Maya answered the call and brought the phone to her ear, holding her breath.

"H-hello?"

 _"Maya!"_

Riley's voice squealed excitedly. Maya winced, pulling the phone a little away from her ear from the sheer volume of her best friend's tone, but she released the breath she had been holding and smiled.

"Wow. I was not expecting you to blow out my eardrums, Pumpkin. Hey Riles."

 _"Did you miss hearing the sound of my voice?"_ Riley giggled on the other line. _"I ran into my brother at Topanga's, and since my dad won't give me my phone back, I figured I should call you. I stole Josh's phone, but don't worry. He doesn't know I'm calling you."_

"Oh."

Maya wasn't sure if she was disappointed by that revelation or relieved. If it had been Josh who answered though, she wasn't sure what she would have said.

 _"Listen, Maya. I can't talk long. Not just because Josh is getting me a hot chocolate and he'll be back soon, but I'm going to the movies soon. Anyway, I'm so mad!"_

Maya laughed. She could just imagine Riley stomping her foot in irritation in that cute way she did with her lips pouted and cheeks a bit puffed out.

"What happened this time? Did Auggie do something?"

 _"No! It's about this stupid transfer student named Charlie who prefers to have his nose buried in books rather than try to talk to people. I have to be his student guide this week and every time I try to get him to participate in stuff, he says he'd prefer reading his damn books. He's so annoying! Why can't he be more open? He's making my job harder than it already is!"_

"Riley, not everyone is Type A, overachieving, peppy cheerleader type like you."

 _"No, I refuse to give up! I will get him to open up! I'm forcing him to go to the movies with me and Smackle tonight."_

Classic Riley. Refused to stop until she had her way. It brought a nostalgic smile to Maya's face. Maya remembered when she hadn't wanted to try to enter into any art competitions going into high school, but Riley had kept pushing her to continue to try, even sometimes entering her without her knowledge or consent. It proved fruitful, because if it weren't for Riley helping Maya get out of her shell in sharing her art, she wouldn't have the courage to try for the MOMA internship. And now she really did have a chance to win.

"Don't be surprised if this goes terribly wrong, Riley. Most of your plans don't end up going well."

 _"He wants to see the weepy romance movie, Maya. The weepy romance! How are we all supposed to talk about the movie when he wants to see the one that is not conducive for conversation and awkward and sappy?"_

"I thought you loved sappy movies."

 _"The goal is to have a few laughs but you can't talk during these types of movies. Why is he so stiff? And he gets this condescending look on his face every time I mention cheerleading! He's such a know it all too, and I can't stand the way he pushes his glasses up his nose as if he knows better than me! He's so rude!"_

Maya laughed. "Again. Don't be surprised if this goes wrong, Riles."

 _"It won't go wrong because he's going to—"_ Riley gasped softly. _"What? I'm not doing anything."_

"What?" Maya asked in confusion.

 _"No… I was just… playing a game!"_

Riley's voice sounded a lot farther away than it had been before.

"Riley?" Maya frowned, wondering why she sounded so panicked.

 _"Wait, I just have to… Fine… I'm talking to Maya."_

Maya stiffened, realizing that Riley must have gotten caught by Josh. Her heart started racing in her chest again.

Riley chuckled nervously, her voice sounding more direct on the phone again.

 _"Maya. Josh wants to talk to you."_

"No."

 _"He says he really needs to talk to you."_

"Well tell him I have nothing to say to him." Maya spat. "I don't want to talk to him."

 _"Then why did you pick up the phone, Maya?"_

And Maya's breath caught in her chest when she heard Josh's voice. That same slight drawl with that undertone of playfulness that never seemed to go away that she hadn't heard in so many weeks. That always managed to make goosebumps rise on her skin and her pulse race in excitement.

Like it was doing now.

Maya's eyes narrowed. "I knew it was Riley who was calling."

Josh sighed, sounding exasperated. She could hear Riley tittering in the background, sounding like she was protesting something.

 _"Maya, can we talk? You ignored all my voicemails and calls and texts and never gave me the chance to explain."_

" _I_ ignored your calls and texts?! You've been ignoring me!" Maya hissed furiously. "Besides, what's there to even talk about? You dumped me. By _voicemail_. The day after I moved!"

 _"Okay, that was a bad call on my part, but I had reasons."_

"Well of course _you_ had reasons. After all, it was you who dropped that 'it's not you, it's me' bullshit on our relationship and shat in my face."

 _"Look Maya."_ Josh growled, _"You keep acting as if I was the problem, but did you ever consider the fact that maybe it was you?"_

"What the hell did I possibly do to you? Aside from, you know, tell you _I loved you_ and give you my virginity. Clearly it went through one ear and out the other because you obviously weren't too upset about me moving."

 _"Maya, it wasn't like that."_

"Then how was it? I was moving so you couldn't _wait_ to get rid of me? Oh finally! The little high school chick I was using is finally leaving so I can be free to fuck whatever bitch I was cheating on her with."

 _"Maya! First of all I was never cheating on you. Second, our relationship was already ending by that point! We hadn't been in a real relationship for a while!"_

Maya felt her blood boil, her heart squeezing tightly in her chest as her throat tightened dangerously.

"Our relationship was not over!" Maya's voice cracked. "We literally just started having sex. How could you say that?! And then for you to dump me over a voicemail? I thought you were better than that Josh!"

 _"Maya… look. I just didn't think I could handle long distance."_

"If you love someone enough, you'd at least try to make it work!"

 _"It just_ wasn't _working between us though and you know it, Maya. It was awkward dating my little sister's best friend. And we were struggling to make it work."_

Maya grit her teeth, gearing up to _really_ tell Josh off and rip him a new one as she turned around.

She froze with a soft gasp, absolutely shocked when she her gaze fell on Lucas standing nonchalantly in her doorway. He was leaning on the door holding a picture frame, a neutral expression on his face as he watched her. Maya's eyes widened, her words dying in her throat.

"I have… to go..." she said slowly.

 _"Maya, c'mon, can we at least talk about this?!"_

"I'll call you." Maya said on autopilot, hanging up and tossing her phone on her bed.

She stared up at Lucas, an abrupt, jarring silence filling the room as her heartrate increased. Lucas said nothing, still leaning against the door and contemplating her silently, the expression in his eyes a little blank. There was no amusement in his gaze. No teasing gleam at all, and it made her a bit uneasy.

"How…" She licked her lips anxiously. "How long have you been standing there?"

"Not long." Lucas lifted up the object in his hands. "You left this in the trunk."

It was one of her paintings.

"Oh."

Maya walked over to him, feeling a little awkward as she took it. There was something a little indecipherable in his gaze that made her feel like maybe he'd actually heard a lot more than 'not long'. Not long wasn't specific enough. How much had he actually heard of her conversation?

When she caught the scent of his cologne Maya averted her gaze, taking the painting quickly and moving away from him fast before the reminder of Josh really slapped her in the face and brought her over the edge of her already uncontrollable melancholy.

Maya knew her cheeks were burning red, her eyes prickling with tears in the back, and she kept her back to him, setting the painting down on her desk for the time being. She took a deep shuddering breath, slowly releasing it through her nose before steeling her expression and turning around with a raised brow, her hand on her cocked hip. He was still leaning against her doorframe with his arms crossed in front of his chest, a pensive expression on his face.

"Is that all?" she asked, hoping her voice sounded stronger than it had come out.

She felt stiff and uncomfortably, and she was trying to put up her guard and walls, but she felt out of control. She honestly hoped he wasn't planning on trying to speak with her. Maya wasn't sure she'd be able to match anything he threw at her. Her mind was still reeling from the terrible phone call.

But what he said next was the farthest thing from what she expected.

"Did you paint that?"

Maya blinked in surprise. "Yeah."

"It's nice." he said simply.

Maya's brows furrowed in surprise at his compliment. She turned back around to look at her painting.

It honestly wasn't anything special. In fact, she could easily say it was one of her worst pieces in high school to date. But it had been the very first piece she'd ever submitted for an art competition and the only one she'd ended up bringing to Texas, having distributed all her others to the people she loved. It was from ninth grade, when Maya had just begun to experiment with more whimsical styles of painting. Less concrete and more abstract work compared to the very sharp and loud way she used to paint prior to coming into high school.

It was really wispy with no definitive lines and bright splashes of colour everywhere surrounding gnarled trees of a dark forest. She hadn't won anything from it but Riley had the second part of the painting, the one with the little blonde and the little brunette girl splashing in the rainbow puddles that made the painting a little easier to understand.

"Thanks. It's a little noisy, but it's supposed to be—"

"A rainstorm, right?" Lucas said, scrutinizing the painting on her desk.

"Right…" Maya rose a brow, impressed. It wasn't particularly easy to decipher that aspect in the painting. That was one of the things she'd gotten some flack on and points deducted from. Most people assumed it was dreamscape. "A rainstorm."

They were silent for a while, just staring at her painting. Maya glanced at Lucas, not quite able to decipher the expression on his face. He looked a little lost in thought.

"So…" she finally said, breaking the silence. "Did you need something else… or…?"

He shifted his gaze from the painting to her, and Maya looked away again, knowing she probably looked like she was going to cry, and she didn't want him to pick up on it, since clearly he could also read people fairly well. He wasn't particularly annoying her or anything—surprisingly for once—but she wasn't in good spirits, and she didn't really feel like being in the company of anyone and especially not in the company of Lucas when she was at her most vulnerable.

"My mom was going to order takeout or something for dinner. You okay with that?"

"Yeah." Maya responded, still staring at the ground.

"…Alright. I'll let her know."

Lucas turned around and left her room without another word. Maya stood in her same spot for a few seconds, a little confused. She had honestly expected some kind of annoyance or something else that would make her in an even pissier mood than she already was.

Honestly though, she was glad he hadn't.

She stared at her phone on her bed, wondering if she should call Josh back. Part of her wanted to. Part of her wanted to call him and get the explanation that she so desperately deserved and wanted. But she knew it would mean getting closure. And getting closure meant that she had to admit her relationship with Josh truly was over.

And she couldn't.

It hurt too much to think about letting him go for real. Because no matter how mad she was at him, no matter how much she hated him at the moment, she loved him that much more.

Aside from Riley, he was the best thing that had happened to her in all her shitty life. Bad thing after bad thing kept happening in her life throughout their relationship, and she hadn't been one for hope, yet he'd stuck with her through it all. She thought they were both in it for the long game. At least, that's what she had hoped when she'd given him her virginity.

So why had he let her go like that the minute she'd left?

She thought he loved her.

Maya sank down slowly on the edge of her bed, sniffling as her eyes welled with the tears she'd been fighting since she saw his name on the Caller ID. Had she been in denial the whole time? Had she deluded herself into believing their relationship had been perfect? Maybe their relationship had never been what she thought. In which case, she'd wasted all her time having hope for someone who was never going to last. In which case, she was right: hope really was for suckers.

"Three weeks of being here, and I didn't cry…" Maya chuckled mirthlessly, running a hand through her hair as the tears trickled down her cheeks. "Dammit…"

It really was over.

"Maya, have you seen my red cocktail dress…" Katy froze in the doorway when she saw Maya. "Oh, baby girl. What's wrong?"

Katy walked into the room and sat down next to Maya, wrapping her arms around her and pulling her into her body. Maya leaned into her mom, chuckling through her sniffles, though there were no feelings of happiness behind it.

"Nothing. I just can't believe both our relationships ended so horribly."

"I know, Maya… That's why I'm glad we moved here. It's a chance for us to both have a fresh start." Katy responded solemnly, kissing her forehead. "New pact, okay? We don't let these failed relationships get in our way of enjoying our new life here. I know we're both still hurting, but let's do our best to put the past behind us and reset this whole thing. We're hurt, but that doesn't mean we can't bounce back from this. I'll help you; you'll help me. Mother-daughter duo all the way, okay?"

"Yeah." Maya nodded, snuggling further against her mom as Katy gently rubbed her arm. "I love you, Mom."

"I love you too, baby girl." Katy laughed. "You know, my father and your Gammy divorced when I was a little girl too. I guess us Hart women are just bad at relationships, huh?"

"Does seem to be a pattern here…" Maya responded with a chuckle. "I kind of never want to be in a relationship again."

"Well, it's only natural after suffering heartache. I thought the same after your first daddy left us when you were young. But I fell in love again. It hurts when relationships crumble, but that feeling of falling in love and being in love is definitely worth it if you can find the right person. The one who'll stay." Katy shrugged a bit. "I thought I had it right the second time around, but I guess I was wrong. Josh was your first love, Maya. Of course the first cut will be the deepest. But there'll be others."

"Hmmm…"

"Maya. You're beautiful and talented and charismatic and strong and fierce and one day you're going to meet someone who will appreciate those things about you. Someone who can handle you and all your fierceness and contain you when you get dangerous and will want to stick around despite any shortcomings you have—like literally, your height for example."

Maya rolled her eyes at her mother's stupid joke. "Yeah, thanks a lot for that, you midget woman."

"Not my fault I got my mother's genes, and you inherited them." Katy laughed.

"So let's see. So far, Hart women are cursed with being short and getting left by their partners. Future looks a little bleak for our descendants."

"Well, at least we've got our amazing blonde hair." Katy joked.

"Right, that too." Maya snorted in amusement. "Mom, thank you. I needed that."

"Anytime, Maya. In the meantime, don't dwell too much on the broken relationship, okay? Use this new life as a chance to move on from it. If you need me, just call me, and I'll help you."

"You're right." Maya wiped her eyes with the palm of her hand, sitting up out of Katy's embrace. "Kind of want some ice cream now."

"You know what? Me too." Katy said, standing up and walking towards the door, "Let me go see if Layla has any coffee flavoured stuff."

She headed out of the room, and Maya took a deep breath, letting it out slowly as she tried not to let her melancholy get to her.

Her mom was right. There was no point in dwelling on the past. Yes, she wasn't okay and she knew she was still going to hurt over Josh for a while. But the sooner she tried to let it go, the sooner her relationship would just be another thing in her Dungeon of Sadness and the sooner she could forget all about it.

But one thing was for sure.

She would never let anyone in again. Never let herself fall for anyone again.

Maybe she was being a coward by doing such. Maybe putting up a fierce guard and walls was just her hiding so she couldn't get hurt, but she didn't care.

The pain of getting her heart broken just wasn't worth it.

Maya picked up her phone, searching through her contacts until she stopped at J's. With a sigh, she deleted Josh's number, even though she felt her heart squeeze in her chest. It was the first step to a real goodbye to the relationship she'd thought would be hers forever. But now it was time to try and move on.

 _Fuck you, Josh. And goodbye.  
_

Time for her reset.


	16. Step Three: Building Sexual Desire

**A/N: To the annoyed Guest who commented on Dirty Dance. Hi! I promise I will finish everything I started. But I have a lot going on so it's not going to be finished within a few weeks or quick months if that's what you were hoping for. Writing takes a while, and unfortunately, I'm a super slow writer. I'm working on it though! I've improved my writing speed since 2015 so I only hope I can be able to get much better so I can finish chapters more quickly! Thank you for letting me know your concerns! :3  
**

 **In general, I've gotten a lot of questions regarding when I'll update. Next week, I start term 2 for school so expect more updates now that I have stuff I'm supposed to be doing and studying and won't do lol. I'm also working on responding to everything, so hopefully I'll finish that up soon!  
**

 **Alright, let's turn the dirty dial back up and get this show on the road ;D**

 **Thank you for the kind reviews and all your concerns! I haven't abandoned this story, but I can't make any guarantees that updates will go a lot faster. For that, I'm sorry, but I hope despite that you can still enjoy the story. I honestly appreciate all the love you have given me and I thank you for being so supportive! Here's to the new year and hopefully me getting my shit together! :)  
**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own GMW or the characters, but shit... if I did... You guys better run... ヽ(￣д￣;)ノ=3=3=3**

* * *

 **To:** "Honey"

 **From:** "Peaches"

 **Subject:** Re: how's texas peaches? (not how are the peaches in tx, but how is texas, peaches)

i'm glad to see your father is finally starting to see things our way. i know you don't like blackmail, but trust me, this is the only way to get your phone back. don't cave. you'll come out of this thing on top. you'll see. you just have to be patient and watch him crumble like that amazing coffee cake at topanga's with the doughy inside (please please send me one. i'm craving it bad!).

i know that you hate when i do this but…

I TOLD YOU SO.

i told you it wouldn't go well. it's your own fault you got kicked out of the movie because you wouldn't stop talking. of course he pretended like he didn't know you and let you get kicked out! you guys aren't friends. and from what you told me about him yesterday, he probably doesn't want anything to do with you.

(not gonna lie, it's actually kind of hilarious how bothered you are that things didn't go your way when you should have expected this)

tone down the peppiness a bit, riles. even i couldn't deal with you in kindergarten when we first met. you grew on me, but it took a bit of time. just leave him alone unless he comes to you with questions and everything will work out for the best. the more you push, the more he'll pull away. that's human nature.

i would know. that's probably why josh broke up with me. i was too clingy, wasn't i?

but before you say that i'm taking this guy's side, nope. i'm a neutral party. i'm usually always on your side, pumpkin. except when you do crazy shit like pour popcorn down someone's jacket and toss a drink in their face for wanting to ditch you at the movies. smackle is right. you overdid it with the peppiness and then scarred him for life when you got mad. i'm calling it now: every time he sees you now, this cheese soufflé guy is going to run for the hills.

by the way, i sent topanga my new address so if you want to visit or you know, send me presents *wink wink* you have it available for you. tell your mom she should let you spend a weekend with me sometime this year so we can catch up. and i'll send pictures of his place this week after i get more acquainted with it. you won't believe how incredible his place is. think farkle's spacious, awesome mansion with the comfort level of topanga's and that's what it is. well, comfortable except for one thing.

but yupp. it's officially official.

i'm living with lucas friar for an unknown amount of time.

and don't worry about the josh thing yesterday. it wasn't your fault. you were desperate and wanted to talk to me as soon as possible. i'm fine with it and i'm over it. yes, i will admit i cried for a while, but ultimately it doesn't matter because it gave me the push i needed to start letting him go. so i'm giving up on that relationship. it ended sour, but mom and i binged on coffee flavoured ice cream and had a girl's night and it was nice. i feel more liberated. less hindered.

though, i think lucas heard my whole conversation with josh even though he said he'd only heard a bit. i don't know if that's a bad thing necessarily. on the one hand, he could easily use the information against me at some point in the future, but on the other, he didn't even comment on it. he complimented my painting and was oddly... _nice_. i don't know. it was a confusing moment. it made me kind of feel bad for trying to get him to argue back when he was driving us back, but in my defense, he seemed in a bad mood and after the argument, he wasn't in any kind of funk.

(and no, just because he was "nice" that does not mean he likes me, so don't get overly excited riley. i'm certain he hates my guts).

anyway despite yesterday's heartache, i'm going to take the bull by the horns and get more serious about this bet because i haven't made any progress. enough playing games. time to turn the dial up. time to really get this plan going.

it's time for lucas friar to officially be seduced.

wish me luck. and if i don't make it out of this alive, just know that i wish we could have seen each other one last time, riley :'( fare thee well!

love you always my honey,

peaches

 _(sent 6:24am 10/16)_

* * *

Maya woke up early feeling a little better after the stressful night before. Sure, her eyelids were a bit puffy from the tears she'd shed and her head was throbbing a bit from crying in her sleep but after the initial reminder of the disheartening phone call had passed on, she felt like a new her.

Stronger. Better. Hardened. More powerful.

 _Invincible_.

It was a great feeling and as she hopped out of bed, she couldn't help but feel like it was time to really get down and dirty with her plan. She was failing. Big time. And the more time she spent half-assing her plans, the more time it would take to make her plan work on this thick skulled, resilient challenging guy.

Lucas needed to be sexually attracted to her. But how could he be sexually attracted if he didn't see what he could be attracted to?

He needed to think 'I'd hit that' at least once in his mind, and Maya could build from that. And the only way to do that was by making him think she was sexually interested in him while simultaneously getting him sexually interested in her. She'd do it in increments, piece by piece, but if her plan went as she wanted it to, Lucas would not only think that he wanted to bang her, but he'd also think she wanted to bang him. And then she'd have to start the hardest part.

She pushed the thought away, knowing she was getting a little ahead of herself.

"Alright Maya." She slapped her cheeks as she stared at herself in the mirror of her dresser to pump herself up for the most important part of her plan. "Time to get to work for real. Time to get serious. Time to get dirty."

She unzipped and dropped her pajamas to the floor, stripping to just her bra and panties. Then she undid the braid her hair was in, letting it tumble around her as she observed herself in the mirror.

They were a good pair of panties. She liked them. They had Tweety Birds in different poses on them—yet another Looney Tunes themed clothing gift from Riley. She'd gotten Maya a matching set of several items—and they could potentially be a source of embarrassment, but it fit her ass right, and she didn't doubt that what they looked like _on_ her would trump what was on the panties to Lucas. They would do for now, though when she upped her game a bit more, she'd use a thong instead. The fastest way to Lucas' heart was probably through his dick.

"From this day forth, you are no longer Maya Penelope Hart. You're a sex kitten, got it? A stripping sexual kitty cat," she purred, winking saucily in the mirror as she struck a dirty pose to get into the right mindset and psych herself up for this. "Abandoned at the age of sixteen by your partying mother, you faked your age and began work as a stripper to pay the apartment's rent. You quickly rose up the ranks and became one of the top strippers in your club. Your name is Easy Swallows because you…"

Maya grimaced, her nose wrinkling in disgust as she stared at herself incredulously in the mirror.

"What the fuck? That's a terrible name."

She'd just go with Peaches. It was innocent enough to sound cute in some way, but taken in a different context, could be particularly dirty. Peaches back in New York had been her slightly rebellious, angry side. Peaches here would be her sex kitten, seduce Lucas at all costs side. She knew there was a peaches 'n cream joke in there somewhere, but she _refused_ to think about it.

Maya let out a long breath and tousled her hair a bit more, trying to amplify the sex hair effect to look more irresistible. It was risqué. It was wild.

 _Perfect_.

Maya was done being passive. Done with assholes like Josh and Lucas and Lexi and that idiot in the art room. She'd had enough of being kicked in the ass and treated in condescending manners. She was tired of _losing_ and being dealt such shitty hands in life no matter what she did to make things better. She was taking control of her life now. It was time for Maya Hart to win for once. And if she had to be somewhat crazy and aggressive to do so, then so be it. She would toss sanity out the window, and seduce the fuck out of this guy.

Her nerves steeled, Maya left her room, walking steadily down the hallway towards the closed door of Lucas' room. Confidence was key. If she cowered or let him get to her then he would have the advantage, and Maya wasn't going to let him have that anymore. She pushed open his door and walked in slowly.

His room smelled amazing, though the traces of his (and Josh's) cologne in the room were pretty prevalent. She half expected it to smell musty, like the way a room smelled after sex, but it was actually really nice. His scent clung to the room, and he was surprisingly clean. He did have a couple dirty posters on one side of his wall—girl in bikini dripping with water and whatnot. Not anything particularly vulgar—but other than that, his room was alright. She supposed if she had to pick a location to screw him, his room would probably work. His bed did look pretty comfortable.

Her gaze dropped to the figure sleeping on the bed.

"Hey. Huckleberry." She rapped her knuckles loudly on the door frame. "Wake the fuck up."

Lucas stirred under his covers, sighing low under his breath in annoyance before rolling onto his back. He sat up slowly looking half asleep, his eyes half lidded and hair in disarray. Maya stared at him incredulously because despite looking exhausted, he looked like sex even waking up.

 _Goddamn… he is unbelievably fucking attractive…_

Looked like a damn model with the way he ran his hand through his hair tiredly. He wasn't even topless, but those pheromones he was giving off were strong as fuck. Maya could feel herself being sucked into the vortex despite the fact that he wasn't really doing anything but trying to wake himself up.

Lucas' eyes met hers. He stared at her blankly, no expression registering on his face as his gaze slowly dropped from her face to her barely clothed body. Maya placed her hand on her hips, cocking a brow as he blinked, looking a bit confused. He looked at his bedside clock for a moment before rubbing his eyes and returning his gaze to Maya. His brows furrowed as if he was trying to figure out if she was an illusion. Maya felt the corner of her lips tug up into a smirk.

"You're not having a wet dream, Ranger Rick. I'm really standing here."

Lucas rose a brow. "Any particular reason you decided to wake me up before the sun is even up?"

Maya felt a shiver run down her back at the low, gravelly, somewhat hoarse tone of his voice. How was it that he managed to ooze sex appeal with everything he did?

He was still looking at her like he didn't think it was real that she was there. She had expected a reaction like that to some extent. He _was_ half asleep after all, even though his _head_ was clearly more awake than his head.

"Is that a squirrel under your covers or are you just happy to see me?" Maya said playfully, leaning against his dresser and subtly posing as she tossed her hair over her shoulder.

"Morning wood. You've never heard of that before?" His eyes narrowed. "Again, why did you wake me up?"

"Spare towels. Where can I find them? I figured you'd know since you probably spend half your day wanking."

Lucas snorted. "I use tissue paper for that, darling. Less chance of chafing."

Maya had to hand it to him. He was pretty nonchalant about the whole thing and pretty damn good at the riposting despite his lack of full consciousness. Plus, he seemed unconcerned with the fact that he had a raging boner that Maya was staring at pretty brazenly.

 _I'll call it Bucky McBoingBoing._

Maya had to physically bite her tongue to stop herself from laughing out loud at the stupid nickname she'd just given it. She made a mental note to herself to try to figure out how to wake up Bucky McBoingBoing in the future when he wasn't already up and rearing to go.

"They're in the hall closet across from the guest bathroom."

"Appreciate it." Maya said faux sweetly, twirling a strand of hair with her finger though she didn't move.

Lucas stared at her incredulously.

"I find it incredible that you have no qualms coming into a guy's room in nothing but your underwear."

She shrugged. "Just a normal morning for Maya Hart. No one's complained about it before."

He snorted, shaking his head in mirth though his eyes were still on her body. He looked more awake than before, clearly stuck on her image. She refrained from smiling triumphantly though she knew she hit the nail on the head with her ploy. He'd said it himself. He liked the way she looked, and he was definitely showing that right now.

"Does my state of undress bother you?" she asked innocently enough, batting her eyelashes the slightest bit.

"Can't say that it does," he said with a raised brow, leaning back against his headboard, hands behind his head. "If this is how you choose to wake me up in the future, I don't mind."

He sounded unfazed, but his eyes still weren't on her face at all. She'd done her job well.

"Sorry, babe. Once in a lifetime opportunity." Maya stared at his crotch unabashedly, licking her lips slowly. "Though if that's what you have to offer, _I_ wouldn't mind waking up to that."

She turned around to leave but not before glancing briefly over her shoulder and sure enough, Lucas was watching her, his brows a bit raised in surprise at her response.

"I'm going to need a ride to school again, by the way."

Maya winked and walked out of his room to get ready for her day, swinging her hips more than usual and definitely feeling the weight of his gaze lingering on her ass.

Maya had succeeded in rendering him speechless.

Part one of building sexual desire was a go go.

Part two needed Zay.

~.~.~

Maya drummed her fingers on the lunch table, her brows furrowed as she leaned against her other fist, watching the doors of the cafeteria for Zay. She had a lot of work to do and the sooner he arrived, the sooner she could continue. But most of lunch had passed and neither Zay nor Lucas had made an appearance.

Lucas, she wasn't as worried about. She had a feeling his preferred lunchtime activities were probably in the backseat of his truck with someone. Besides, she'd already toyed with him a bit that morning. She needed to back off just a little before she went on the offensive again so she could let it soak in.

Maya could tell Lucas had been completely confused by her behaviour that morning. She didn't blame him. It had been the first time she'd ever insinuated an interest in having sex with him after vehemently denying it several times so it was no wonder he was confused. And she knew he'd only grown even more bewildered when she completely ignored him on the car ride to school, not even commenting once on the country music that was playing. It was all on purpose, of course, to leave a lasting impression on his mind and screw with his perception of her. Mysterious sexual behaviour that sprang up at the most random of times would stick in his mind longer.

"Could you please stop that incessant tapping on the table?" Lexi said sharply, briefly stopping filing her nails. "You're making _me_ anxious."

"Maya, you've been staring at the cafeteria doors for forever." Missy pointed out around a mouthful of sandwich. "Who are you waiting for?"

"Zay."

Almost as if summoned, he ambled through the doors, hands crammed in his jacket pockets and a slightly goofy, somewhat dazed smile on his face. He made eye contact with Maya and waved in greeting. She crooked her finger for him to come over, and he changed direction, heading to their table instead of his usual.

"Missy. Lexi." He greeted cheerfully, sitting next to Maya. Lexi's eyes narrowed in annoyance. "You seem to be missing the hyper one."

"She's in the library trying to finish a paper." Maya replied, staring at him closely. "Are you high, Zay?"

"Only a little. Can you blame me? School's a bitch to get through. We all have our things that help us relax in some way." Zay said with an unapologetic shrug. "By the way, thanks for hitting me up Missy."

Maya glanced at Missy with a raised brow in surprise, but she pretended she didn't notice Maya's look, innocently reading something off of her phone.

"So what can I do for you, Miss Hart?" he asked. "Is this about the bet?"

"Yeah, but before that, I want to know why you're so okay with this bet I'm doing. I'm trying to fuck with your best friend, you know?"

"And fuck him." Missy added. "And Maya is devious and dangerous."

"Exactly." Maya continued. "I find it weird how easily you're willing to throw him under the bus. What happened to guy code and taking care of your friends?"

"There is no guy code when it comes to some hot girl a guy wants to screw. I'm just trying to help him."

"I would definitely buy that," Maya said dryly, " _if_ Lucas was already trying to screw me. But I am certain that he is not. Try again, Babineaux."

"Fine. You want the honest answer?" Zay said with a yawn, stealing Maya's mini cupcake from her tray and taking a large bite of it. "I think Lucas needs someone challenging to settle down with. I want him to be happy with someone, and I've been trying to get him to keep a steady girlfriend for years."

Lexi frowned and stared incredulously at Zay at the same time Missy rose a brow. He said nothing, only watching them in amusement as he finished off the sugary treat.

"You want Maya to be Lucas' _girlfriend_?" Lexi said in disgust.

"Whoa. Zay. I am not that candidate," Maya said. "I don't want to be his girlfriend in the least. I can barely be in the same area as him without wanting to kick his ass."

"So you say, but I know these things Maya." Zay said sagely, leaning over and trying to take Missy's cupcake. She slapped his hand away before he could snatch it up, not even looking up from her phone. "You're the perfect person to handle him. I've never seen someone so consistently unfazed by his whole sex aura thing from the start and that thing is pretty much turned on twenty-four seven. I see you as his girlfriend in your foreseeable future."

Maya glared at him. "And I see _you_ holding your nuts in pain in yours."

He laughed loudly, pulling Maya's tray towards him, looking absolutely starving as he stared at the unfinished food.

"Just great." Lexi huffed angrily. "Missy brings one stray and now _she_ starts calling all her other little strays to join in. This table is exclusive. So can you leave and go back to your own little table of assholes now, Zay?"

"Your mouth is saying one thing, Lexi. But your eyes?" Zay leaned across the table, waggling his eyebrows suggestively. "They're saying you _want_ me."

"Excuse me while I go barf." Lexi snapped, an angry blush on her cheeks.

She rolled her eyes and shot up from the table, heading out of the cafeteria. Missy laughed, shaking her head in mirth as she continued to scroll through something on her phone.

"So is that all you wanted to know? My reasons for helping you?" Zay asked, taking a sip of Maya's orange juice.

She shook her head.

"I'm stuck. I took your advice and told Lucas that I knew he was attracted to me, but he downplayed it and turned it on me. He basically said I'm attractive to him only because of _what_ I'm wearing but not really because of me. I count that as a failure."

"That's what he said, huh?" Zay said, a pensive frown on his face as he chewed contemplatively on Maya's fries. "I guess there is a difference between thinking someone is attractive and actually being attracted to them."

"Exactly. It's a botched mission, and I lost some time with the whole mess with my house. I need to step up my game. I need to form a real promiscuous image in his eyes," Maya said. "That's where you come in. I need your help."

"Alright. What do you need to know?"

"Does Lucas have any major enemies? Anyone he's in consternation with?"

"Going right for the jugular." Missy said with a smirk. "Impressive."

"Other than you?" Zay snorted. "Probably. He's fucked a lot of guys' exes."

Maya's nose wrinkled in disgust. "Does he not have any moral sense?"

"Revenge sex only." Zay corrected. "If the girl really wants to get back at her ex for whatever reason she usually goes to Lucas, and he'll probably sleep with her."

"Even if he doesn't want to sleep with the girl? Why does he do that?"

"No. He doesn't sleep with _every_ girl that wants revenge. It has to be a really good reason. Plus he does have a lot of standards, believe it or not. He's a responsible playboy, so to speak."

"That's a contradiction." Maya rolled her eyes. "Aren't there any guys you can label as real Fuckboy Friar enemies? What about the guys he got into fights with?"

"Sorry. No one off the top of my head. Plus, the guys who Lucas has gotten into fights with aren't really his enemies anymore. There's some respect thing that forms between them. It's hard to explain."

Maya sighed. "You're no help."

"I find that offensive." Zay put his hand on his chest in affront. "I'm your ticket to being able to spend more time with Lucas without being obvious. Look, if you're really looking for Lucas' enemies, why don't you ask around?"

"Oh yeah, and possibly tip him off to the fact that I'm trying to fuck with his mind?" Maya drawled. "Smart plan, Zay."

"At least I'm throwing suggestions out there." Zay said.

Maya groaned in annoyance. Finding an enemy of Lucas' to pretend she was hooking up with to really get in his head would be too hard since there didn't seem to be any leads. There were probably way too many people who were his enemies who he was indifferent to. So how the heck could she narrow it down?

"You seem stuck…" Missy muttered, a slight singsong tone to her voice.

Maya glanced at her and noticed the shrewd gleam in Missy's eyes. No doubt, the information exchanging journalist part in her was aching to come out.

"How much for your suggestion?" Maya sighed.

"I want to come over today and see Lucas' place for recon purposes. I made a deal with someone and need to get that info. And you're my route in."

Maya nodded in agreement, feeling like she was on Missy's damn leash, being dragged around and doing her bidding because she needed a bit of help. Missy was unbelievably crafty. Maya had no doubt that she'd be an excellent journalist.

"Lucas has a shit ton of enemies and a lot of admirers, but he has few _close_ friends…" Missy said simply before going back to the article she was reading on her phone.

But Maya got the picture. She didn't have to search for enemies only. What if she got to Lucas through a friend? And not just any friend. His _best_ friend.

Maya stared at Zay who had been watching their exchange in confusion.

"You."

Zay frowned. "Huh?"

"I can use you as the guy to make Lucas think I have random flings to improve my promiscuity cred. We just have to pretend we're hooking up!"

Zay shook his head. "Opposite effect."

"What do you mean?"

"He won't buy it."

"Why not?" Maya asked in annoyance. "You're attractive. I would date you."

"Can't say that I'm not." Zay shrugged. "But that's not what I mean. I'm saying he won't believe we're hooking up and become more interested in screwing you. He'll get protective."

"Lucas basically called me a cow yesterday. I don't think protective is the right word to use here."

"Not protective of you, sugar." Zay laughed. "Protective of _me_."

" _What?_ "

Maya was definitely confused now. Sure she was probably in the front of the line as Lucas' major antagonist in his life, but aside from threatening Lucas every once in a while, she didn't think she'd done anything in particular that would merit that kind of suspicion or careful observation. Even Missy was frowning in confusion, clearly trying to process the information, but unable to understand what the hell Zay meant.

"He doesn't trust any girls that try to date me." Zay elaborated when both of them continued to stare at him.

"Why not?" Missy asked curiously.

"Well, simply put, some of our friends—including me—have been used before to try to get closer to Lucas. So Lucas is pretty much an asshole to anyone I date or mess around with. He doesn't trust a lot of the girls that run in a certain circle."

Maya groaned dejectedly under her breath, slumping on the table. So what Zay was saying was that she was back at square one.

"I'm just saying. Since you've already shown an interest in him, if you turn it around and get with me Lucas will automatically have his guard up, and you won't get anywhere with your plan."

"Right. It makes sense."

"Hey. But if you ever get done with this Lucas stuff, and you still want to hook up, I'll still be up for it. Although, I think you should know I'm a big fan of anal—"

"And we're done here. We're never hooking up." Maya snorted and rolled her eyes, shoving Zay away from her when he made a lewd gesture with his tongue. "Goodbye Zay. Go back to your own table."

He stood up with a laugh and took her tray, heading over to the table where most of his friends were seated.

"I thought that would have worked," Missy said apologetically. "Sorry. Can I still come over though?"

"It's fine. It was a good plan. And yeah, you can come over. But I need a place to think without being disturbed." Maya stood up from the lunch table, pulling down the bottom of her dress so it covered a bit more of her thighs. "I'm heading over to the art room to paint. Maybe it'll clear my mind so I can figure out what to do. See you later."

"Let me know if you come up with anything." Missy said as she pulled out some homework from her bag to work on. "See you in history."

Maya picked up her bag, leaving the cafeteria feeling tired as fuck. All this brainstorming was giving her a headache and there was too little advancement in her attempts for all the efforts she was putting in. Lucas was a difficult nut to crack. She was stuck on part two right now, but she wouldn't let it deter her. She had to find someone to use no matter what. Her plan was dependent on it.

And she refused to leave school that day without finding her decoy.


	17. Enter: The Decoy

**A/N: Hi Guest! I honestly didn't, but every time you all tell me of these sweet, wonderful people who are supporting me on tumblr or Instagram or anywhere, it warms my heart. You guys are so amazing and lovely and I'm blessed to be a part of such a caring fandom. So thank you!  
**

 **I asked a random person to pick a title out of seven (I was planning on updating whichever one they picked) and they chose this one. Sooooo here you are! New chapter! But I also picked an extra shift up at work because I want to save up to travel this summer! Ahahaha and you guys are great at guessing my clichés! x3 Lol this chapter is fucking ridiculous.  
**

 **Thank you guys for the lovely reviews! I honestly appreciate all the support and the kindness you have given me and always making my day! It means the world to me and I love reading all the hilarious comments and anecdotes and just the random things you tell me! Thank you all so much! :)  
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 **Disclaimer: I do not own GMW or the characters, but shit... if I did... You guys better run... ヽ(￣д￣;)ノ=3=3=3**

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As Maya splashed another random line of gray on her canvas, the bell rang signifying the end of the class period, and Maya was jolted out of her lethargy. She glanced up at the art room clock and realized the lunch period was over and soon she had to head over to history.

Maya had spent the rest of the lunch period working on nothing in particular. She just started painting whatever came into her mind first. Like her sketching in high places, this type of painting was just to clear her mind and sort her thoughts.

But it hadn't done anything unfortunately.

The best idea her thoughts had come up with was possibly hiring one of the drama nuts to pretend to be hooking up with her, but that would require bringing yet another person into this bet. It would have to be someone who she had to get somewhat acquainted with Lucas so that Lucas would be bothered by her supposed relationship with said person. And not just another person, but a person being bribed with money. They would be under no obligation to stay quiet and could betray her plan at any turn of the second. They could even turn the situation around and extort her for their services.

(Not that she would let them. She'd shove a heel up their crack if they dared try to double cross her).

In any case, too many people knew about her bet already and it was bad enough that Chatterbox Camille and Blabbermouth Babineaux were two of those people. And she couldn't introduce new players and pawns that she would have to inform of the bet. The ideal situation was finding someone organic who she could utilize while keeping them blissfully ignorant of her plans. Someone she could then ditch once her plan succeeded, and they wouldn't care.

Maya groaned and pulled herself off her stool, hurrying to clean up the materials she'd used. She had about two more classes left of the day. It wasn't over yet. Thinking in silence while painting hadn't helped her determine what she would have to do at all, but it wasn't the end of the world. She'd find her decoy.

She snatched up her history book from the safe, unpainted corner of a table and picked up her bag, walking briskly out of the room to head to her class before the late bell rang.

And promptly stumbled into a person on their way in, crashing into them and dropping her book on the floor.

Maya growled under her breath in irritation as she glowered up at the person. It was Mr. Broody from her Psych class.

"Oh look. It's Mr. Girls Talk To Guys Only When They Want To Fuck Them." Maya said sarcastically. His brow rose as he stooped and picked up her fallen book from the floor. "Careful. I'm talking to you. That means I want to jump your bones."

"I have a name you know?" He straightened up, holding her textbook out to her.

"Yeah? I don't care."

Maya made to grab it and he pulled it up above her reach, looking particularly annoyed. Her eyes narrowed dangerously. She hated, _hated_ when people toyed with her and took advantage of her height. Lucas had done it at least twice now, and now this asshat thought it was a good idea.

"It's Brandon."

"I think I prefer Mr. Girls Talk To Guys Only When They Want To Fuck Them. Now give me my book or I'll break your nuts."

He rolled his eyes as he handed her back the textbook.

"I asked you one fucking question and all of a sudden you turn your raging bitch mode on me every time we talk."

"You didn't just ask me a question, dude." Maya wiped off some dust from her textbook cover. "You also insinuated that I wanted to sleep with Lucas of all people just because of what I was wearing."

Which was true, but again, he didn't need to know that.

"Well, it's true isn't it? I heard some rumour that you're living with him now. What, are you one of his girls now?"

"Purely circumstance. My house is being remodeled and our moms are pretty much best friends so I'm living with him." Maya glared at him. "And no. I am not one of his girls, thank you very much."

"You've only been here two weeks. That's a pretty quick time for them to become best friends."

"Almost four now. And you'd be surprised how quickly my mom can make friends. Anyway, why the fuck are you questioning the integrity of my statement? You don't know my life." Maya snapped. He was seriously irritating her with his commentary. Who the hell did he think he was? "I don't need to explain myself to you. This isn't even any of your business."

"Whatever."

He brushed past her and headed inside the classroom, pulling out a pack of cigarettes from his back jean pocket. She shook her head in disgust and stomped out of the room, heading down the hallway.

What the hell was his deal anyway? And why the fuck was he so interested in her life? She'd had two conversations with him prior to this one yet he was always questioning the things going on with her, concerned about the sudden changes in her life as if it was his personal business. Always fucking asking her what was going on with her and Lucas like he needed the jump on the gossip or something.

And Maya froze in the middle of the hallway, her brows lifting in surprise.

 _Unless… he's not concerned with_ me _._

Sure, he had been asking about her intentions at the school, but not what she was doing in general. His commentary about her always had to do with _Lucas_. Whether she was trying to get with Lucas. If her change in style was a ploy to attract Lucas. The rumour that she was living with Lucas now. There were lots of ridiculous rumours surrounding Maya now, any of which he could have asked about. One she'd heard from some gossiping freshmen was that she was hooking up with the principal, and that's why she was able to get away with her new style of clothing.

(Which of course she wasn't. Maya was just smart about dress code. There were a lot of loopholes).

Yet, the one he'd asked her about was the living arrangement. If he was concerned about her reputation and change in general, he could have even asked about the rumour that Maya could suck two hundred dicks in under an hour. But he'd asked about the one surrounding Lucas. He seemed to be obsessed with asking her if she was trying to get with Lucas, as if pushing for some confirmation for some reason.

But _why_ was the question. And Maya had a feeling it had a lot to do with distaste or resentment. He didn't seem like the type of guy who would admire Lucas.

Which was _exactly_ what she was looking for.

Gasping softly, she turned around and hurried back into the art room.

"…Wait. What's your name again?" Maya asked as she walked briskly into the room.

"Brandon," he said, glancing over his shoulder.

"Do you have a bone to pick with Lucas or something?"

He took a long drag, slowly blowing the smoke outside before he turned around, leaning back against the sill and eyeing her indifferently.

"Not particularly…"

Her lips quirked up slowly into a smirk. He was obviously lying. She could tell from the subtle distaste in his dark eyes and the stiff set of his shoulders. Sure, there was the obvious possibility that it was general envy, but Maya had a feeling it went further than just jealousy or typical guy on guy hate. Maya was by no means an expert on reading humans, but she was pretty damn good at it when her judgement wasn't clouded, and something about his demeanor told her that it went beyond simple dislike. He had it out for Lucas. She was sure of it.

Maybe it was a gamble, but she also had a small feeling that if Brandon was harbouring feelings of animosity towards Lucas, there was a high chance that Lucas was also harbouring feelings of animosity towards Brandon.

And that was also _exactly_ what Maya was looking for.

If she made advances towards Brandon while he obviously thought she was fucking Lucas, and he hated Lucas, she had no doubt he would have no qualms trying to snatch her from Lucas. Seemingly sleeping with Lucas' bitter enemy was bound to rankle Lucas and reverse psychology his ass into wanting her to keep her away from his enemy or take her back from Brandon. All this time she'd been looking for someone to get in Lucas' head, and he'd been right there dropping hints the whole time with their frustrating conversations.

She'd found him. Her perfect hook up decoy.

The other puppet in her Lucas/decoy marionette.

"You're perfect." Maya said with a smile.

Brandon frowned mid drag, looking confused at her sudden declaration, but Maya turned and left the classroom, making her way to her history class with a smile on her face. She ignored the confused looks some passing students gave her when she started cackling to herself.

 _Brandon, huh._

She would have to get Missy to do some quick background check for this guy for a possible connection to Lucas in some way, but Maya knew she was well on her way to a successful plan. The pieces were starting to come together nicely. She was set.

~.~.~

Maya had been at an all-time high walking into history, feeling absolutely lucky for the first time since she started at the school. She had been in such a good mood that she wasn't even bothered when she saw Lucas (the bane of her existence) in his seat next to her. And she hadn't even been bothered when Mrs. Callahan split the class into pairs to work on some classwork while she ran to go make copies, and Maya had ended up as Lucas' much to Missy's delight.

Sure, having to shift her chair right next to his desk and sit next to him to work with him was bound to suck, but she was still riding the high of her triumphant discovery of what decoy to use. Nothing Lucas could do could ruin her good mood.

Until a wave of his cologne assaulted her nose from his proximity.

Maya stiffened, holding her breath and turning her head sharply away from him, clenching her teeth in annoyance. It bothered her that he didn't even have to be saying anything, and he still could manage to vex her just by being him.

"You seem bothered," Lucas commented dryly.

"Of course I do. I have to work with _you_."

He watched her in amusement, leaning back in his chair and observing her as if he was trying to figure something out about her. No doubt he was still wondering who the Maya of that morning had been. Her mysterious seductress plan was working a lot better than she had expected.

"Do you always hold your breath when you're around me?"

Maya briefly stiffened, a little surprised that he had noticed. People didn't normally notice differences in breathing patterns that easily because it wasn't exactly something that was noticeable.

"Oh, so you noticed." Maya said boredly, pretending to read her textbook to make him think she was indifferent though she knew she—like pretty much everyone in the classroom—was not paying attention nor did they care about the assignment.

"I'm more observant than you give me credit for."

Clearly, since he was a womanizer.

"Hey. Are you going Ivy?" Maya asked, changing the subject abruptly.

Normally, she would have been more smooth and elegant in her subject change and not so awkwardly abrupt, but she wasn't interested at all in trying to spend any time trying to weave her way out of a conversation that was too close in relation to an unpleasant situation Maya didn't want to think about or talk about at the moment.

Lucas looked taken aback by her sudden question.

"Uh no," he responded. "I'd rather be closer to home for my mom and Gina."

"Even if you're a shoo-in for Ivy? You'd let the opportunity go?"

"I'm flattered that you think so," Lucas said with a smirk, "but I've gotten suspended multiple times, kicked off a sport's team, and I frequently skip classes and barely try in others. Maybe in the past it was, but Ivy's definitely not an option anymore. Who told you that?"

"Camille did."

"…Just so you know, she broke into my truck once and stole a pair of socks I had in the backseat. And then she told me she kept it under her pillow so she could have sex dreams about me."

"Right… unreliable resource." Maya snorted. "That sounds just like her to do some shit like that. That's actually pretty creepy."

"I'm used to it." Lucas shrugged. "Worse things have happened."

"Worse things?" She rose a brow. "What could be worse than someone stealing your clothes to try to have a _sex dream_ about you?"

"When you look like I do, people tend to get rambunctious."

"Urgh. Should have known you'd give a vain ass response." Maya said in disgust.

Lucas chuckled. "What about you? Your mom mentioned NYU and an internship once."

Maya looked away, not entirely comfortable discussing that. Going to New York and especially Josh's school meant being near him and right now, she really just wanted the distance. If she went to NYU, there was a high chance she could see him at times, and obviously, being Riley's best friend and still an honourary Matthews despite her mother's volatile divorce with their close friend, she would definitely be around their home often which meant being around Josh often. And she didn't want that. Maya wanted the internship at MOMA, but that meant going to school in New York. And being in New York was the problem.

"I don't know. I'm not sure anymore." Maya chewed on the inside of her cheek. "Kind of don't want to go to NYU or New York anymore."

"Because of _Josh_?"

Maya's gaze snapped angrily to Lucas. His tone made her bristle and had sounded as if he was looking down on her. And sure enough, he had a derisive sneer on his face, and she knew whatever the fuck came out of his mouth next would probably make her furious.

"So you're dropping a possible future career opportunity because of an ex?" Lucas scoffed incredulously. "If you've got talent for art, there's no reason you should give up on that just because of some guy who dumped you. That's pathetic. Life moves on."

"Well aware, asswipe." Maya growled through grit teeth, her fists clenched from his words. "Can you shut the fuck up so we can work on this assignment?"

He smirked, obviously pleased with himself for managing to get a rise out of her.

 _Asshole._

She knew it was stupid to not want to go back because of an ex, but Maya wasn't a block of ice with a heart of stone. Rejections and losing her boyfriend had actually hurt. Just because Lucas could shuck girls from his life like the tissues he used to catch his jizz did not mean Maya was the same. One break up had torn her apart. She wasn't built for things like that—getting left and what not—which was why she'd guarded herself so well from such an early age. She had stupidly let her walls down for Josh and opened her whole heart to him and it had bitten her in the ass. But that would never happen again, of course.

Maya had been lost in her thoughts so she didn't realize that Lucas had leaned closer and was resting his chin on his palm. All of a sudden, she saw his smug expression in her peripheral vision and a cloud of his cologne drifted into her nose. She bristled, fighting the urge to shove him away from her. What the hell did he want?

"So why do you do that?" he asked.

Maya turned her head and nearly jumped in surprise when she realized he was much closer than she had thought, his trademark amused smirk on his lips. Lucas rose a brow when she held her ground and didn't move despite the fact that their faces were only a few centimeters apart. She was forced to look directly in his eyes or back off and show him he managed to get under her skin.

"Do what?" she snapped.

"Hold your breath."

Maya sighed and rolled her eyes, realizing he wasn't going to let it go.

"You and Josh wear the same cologne."

He stared at her. "I wear the same cologne as the ex that dumped you by voicemail?"

Maya glowered at him. So he _had_ heard the entire conversation.

"Yeah."

"Really," he said slowly, sounding a little too intrigued.

"Yes, really."

"Wow. What are the odds?"

"Look, I'm not going to ask you to change it or anything—"

"I wasn't planning to anyway."

"—but can we please just not mention him anymore?" Maya huffed, rolling her eyes when the amused look came back in his eyes again. Was it bad that she really liked looking into them? Lucas sucked, but even she couldn't deny that his eyes were nice to look at. He had fairly long eyelashes that really brought out the colour. "You probably know how badly things ended with me and him since clearly you overheard my conversation with him. So I'm asking you nicely to please drop it. This is the last thing I want to talk about right now. And especially not with you."

"What I don't get is what kind of guy breaks up with a girl before he at least makes her have a proper orgasm," he commented dryly, looking way too entertained by the turn of their conversation.

Maya's lips pursed. "I've had an—"

"No you haven't," Lucas said lowly, a slight glint in his eyes. "I can tell."

He was right, but she honestly didn't like his self-assured tone nor did she appreciate the pitying look in his gaze as if she was a sad human being to not have gotten it during sex yet.

"How is it any of your business?"

"It's not," he admitted. "I just can't help but wonder if he really wants that kind of reputation tacked onto him that he can't get a girl to come. Makes him look like a lousy lay. Maybe it's better that he ended things with you. Sounds like he saved you the trouble of having to fake it every time."

Maya was a little caught off guard. Was he… trying to console her? In some weird ass twisted way using _orgasms_?

"What?"

"And probably saved himself the trouble of having to continue to screw someone who's also bad in bed. I would hate to see what kind of awkward sex tape you and your ex could make." Lucas snorted.

Right. Of course he wasn't.

Maya rolled her eyes.

"First of all, I'm not bad in bed. Shut the fuck up. And second, Josh wasn't a lousy lay. Some girls are just harder to get off."

Yes, Maya was angry at Josh and considered him Butthead Number Two right now (after Lucas, but before Lexi, Brandon, and then Todd), but she didn't like the way that Lucas was shitting on him. He didn't even know Josh, and Maya was kind of getting defensive. Lucas commenting on Josh felt like he was mocking her for having been in a relationship with Josh.

"Harder to get off? That's just a fucking excuse guys come up with to make themselves feel better about the fact that they suck at sex." Lucas laughed. "You know why you never had an orgasm? He didn't know what the fuck he was doing. How many times did you guys have sex?"

"I'm not about to tell you."

"Then I'll guess." Lucas' smirk grew as he scrutinized her for a moment. "You guys fucked three times, missionary, and not once did he manage to get you off. And the fact that he didn't continue to try despite failing says a lot about him as a person. I would never have sex without letting any girlfriend of mine come at least twice."

"…You sure about that?" Maya snarked, tired of being on the receiving end of his snide comments and feeling like he had the upperhand in the conversation. Josh may have broken up with her in a shitty way, but she didn't like Lucas talking shit about him when he was no better in terms of behaviour. And she was pissed off that he had guessed how many times they'd had sex. "You seem like the type of guy who only cares about his own pleasure first."

"I'm offended, Shortstack." Lucas said, putting a hand on his heart. "I'm every bit the gentleman in bed as I am in life. Her needs come first. _Always_."

" _Gentleman_? You think you're a gentleman?" Maya snorted derisively. "I think you need to redefine what gentleman means."

He watched her in silence for a moment, the corners of his mouth quirked up in an odd smile.

"No, you're right. But you're also wrong. With the shy ones, I am a gentleman. I help coax her out of her shell, make her relax. I won't do anything too crazy because I don't want to scare her off. I always make sure she's comfortable."

His gaze turned a little dangerous, a heat burning in his eyes that made it hard for Maya to look away.

"But with the rowdy ones, the loud ones, the _aggressive_ ones, the ones who like to be in control…" Lucas chuckled and took a few strands of her hair, holding them loosely between his fingers. "I'm not opposed to being a little rough. If she likes it that way, I'll have her up against a wall or on the floor, hold down her wrists above her head, bury myself as far inside her as I can possibly go. Make her scream. Fuck her until she can't walk."

 _Fuck…_

"Works best with short girls, you know?" he murmured, glancing up and meeting her gaze, something dark and carnal in his eyes.

Maya swallowed hard, trying not to visibly show that she'd felt heat pool under her navel for a moment as he let her hair slip from his fingers. A discreet shiver ran down her back from his heavy gaze, and she momentarily looked away, trying not to show that she had been affected by the indecent look he was giving her.

"How do you know they're not faking it?" Maya said, trying not to let him see that she was kind of turned on.

"I think I know what cum looks like sprayed on my wall, _Maya_."

It was so dirty. Such a disgusting statement, yet for some reason, Maya felt electricity shoot straight between her legs.

"So you say." She shrugged, discreetly rubbing her thighs together. "I think your cockiness is overcompensating for what's inside your pants."

"I haven't heard any complaints from anyone. And I'm sure you haven't either," Lucas said, completely unaffected by her comment. It annoyed Maya how lax and arrogant he was. Like he really didn't give two shits about anything. "I've never failed to make someone come. And I doubt I ever will. Doesn't matter who it is, I'll figure her out."

"Really?" Maya scoffed skeptically. "So you think you'd be able to figure me out enough to make me have an orgasm?"

Her own boyfriend hadn't managed it even though he'd had three tries. Farkle had made some comment once that maybe she was one of those girls who couldn't relax enough to easily get their big O. It was probably true. Maya took hours masturbating to even get herself off. She doubted someone like Lucas—repulsive and with the uncanny ability to make her want to smack him across the face every time she saw him—could possibly get her to orgasm, much less make her dripping wet.

"Of course I do. I already know all I need to know," he said in a low tone, his gaze roaming down her body. "Your ex was incompetent. He probably doesn't know the female anatomy. And you seem like the type of girl who will squirt with the right stimulation. It wouldn't take long to get you off."

Her brows lifted in slight shock, stunned by his commentary. Maya could easily see the challenging gleam in his expression, as if he'd upped the level of his teasing. As if he was trying to see if she could keep up with hardcore sexual flirting or something. Did that mean he considered Maya a better score than the girls he usually slept with? It was honestly a little flattering in a way. But she wasn't under his spell. Sure, he may have succeeded in kind of turning her on, but she wasn't a chump.

 _Maya Penelope Hart never loses._

"Oh is that so?" She bit her lower lip and smiled flirtatiously, lowering her voice and leaning a little closer. "Okay. Tell me. How exactly would you do that? How would you make me squirt?"

"Why tell you? Let's skip class, and I can show you instead." Lucas grinned, the expression in his eyes a little dark.

She could tell he was somewhat serious about his comment. Or at the very most, he honestly didn't care either way. If she agreed, he would fuck her. If she didn't, he would still be indifferent. It was a start, not where Maya wanted to be in her plan at the moment, but a good sign that he was on his way to actually being sexually attracted to her.

Still. Nothing wrong with a little sexual flirting. Besides, it was kind of fun.

"Oh I'm sure I would love to be dominated, hair pulled, your hands all over me fucked hard against the lockers until I'm screaming your name out. We _could_ have a lot of hot, sweaty, erotic, filthy, X-Rated fun." Maya leaned closer with every word, her gaze locked with his, their lips so close they were nearly sharing the same air. "Too bad it's never going to happen though. Quite frankly, I'd rather have sex with a cow than you. I think you should give it up."

"Turning my own words back on me." He sounded impressed.

"Props accepted." Maya said arrogantly.

Lucas fell silent, his lips pulling up into a small smile as he held her gaze. His eyes were mesmerizing, a slight ring of bronze mixed into the beautiful sea-foam colour. He glanced down at her lips before slowly meeting her gaze again, inching just a little bit closer, his lips just barely ghosting over hers. Goosebumps rose on her skin when she felt his hand on her thigh, slowly trailing higher, the tips of his fingers brushing the bottom of her skirt. And then he stopped moving, watching her patiently, waiting for her reaction to his proximity.

Maya was fixing to pinch his hand and take it off of her leg, but part of her didn't want to. She was a little turned on and his fingers lightly tracing the skin of her inner thigh and the alluring scent of his cologne were making it worse. All their talk about sex had really gotten in her head. She honestly was considering just closing that almost nonexistent gap between their lips. For a split second, she almost leaned forward too.

"Mr. Friar. Ms. Hart." Mrs. Callahan said sternly, suddenly calling their attention to the front of the room. Maya turned her head in surprise, jumping a bit in her chair at her name suddenly being called. Lucas looked unconcerned as Maya pulled sharply away with a slight gasp. The entire class was staring at them in intrigue, several of the students tittering excitedly amongst themselves. "If you two are done with whatever inappropriate thing it is you're doing back there, you'll realize that I was letting the class know that I am dismissing class early today."

Maya fought her urge to blush, flicking his hand off of her leg and shutting her textbook like the other chattering students to prepare to leave. She had no doubt that this little incident was going to fly throughout the school like wildfire. Maya knew she would be hearing even more outrageous rumours after this little history class stunt. It was kind of funny. Up until the previous Friday, she'd been a serial anonymous at school.

"You are one confusing girl, Maya Hart." Lucas suddenly said, eyeing her with a smug smirk on his lips.

"Girl?" Maya stood up with her book and leaned down in front of him, her words dripping with sex. "I'm _all_ woman, Lucas. You would know…"

She winked before straightening and grabbing her bag from the floor. Maya left the classroom to head to her last class of the day. As she hurried down the hallway, Missy briskly followed her, catching up to her and nearly shoving another person out of her way when they almost blocked her path.

"You two were about _this close_ to having sex in the classroom," Missy said as soon as they were side by side, putting her thumb and forefinger close together and squinting. "If you were trying to keep a somewhat low profile before, that's over. You just grenaded the rumour mill."

Maya gave her a dry look. "We weren't about to have sex."

Maybe she had been about to kiss him. _Maybe_. Though closer to the no side of maybe.

"Kissing, sex. It's all the same in the eyes of these barbaric, horny teenagers." Missy muttered, eyeing a new couple making out next to the lockers. "I have Calc, but Maya you need to be careful or you'll fall under Lucas' spell."

"No, I won't. I was fine."

"So then why did you get sucked into his game? You were like two seconds from making out. I could feel it from my seat. I had my eyes on you guys the whole time. He started it, and you fell right into the trap."

"I did not!" Maya said indignantly. "I had everything under control the whole time."

"Not from my angle you didn't. Like I said. He was playing you, just like all the other girls, and you got suctioned up into his orbit. Ask yourself this, Maya. Would you in your right mind kiss Lucas Friar in the middle of a class period when you haven't even gotten to the 'be a tease' part of your plan yet? When you haven't even confirmed an actual sexual attraction to you instead of him just being the flirt he is?"

Maya's brows rose. "Wait…"

"Exactly. Be careful, Maya. You got lucky this time because of Mrs. Callahan's timely interruption, but you were spiralling out of control. You're playing his game just as much as he's playing yours. And from what I saw today, I think he's got the upper hand. Lucas isn't just a Casanova in name. He knows exactly how to get into girls' heads. And he got into yours. Which is just terrifying. If Lucas Friar can penetrate the impenetrable mind of the dangerous Maya Penelope Hart, then we're all doomed!"

"Yeah, you're right." Maya muttered with a slow nod, a little surprised to realize that Missy was right about her being out of control. Especially since Lucas had managed to turn her on somehow. That explained why Lucas looked so smug after they'd gotten called out. He'd been toying with her. He'd probably been doing it on purpose to see what her reaction would be. "Oh God… I was seriously gone."

"We need to work on you guarding yourself a little bit more from the big bad, horny, asshole delinquent." Missy squeezed her shoulder consolingly. "I think part of your mind is looking for a rebound dick to hop on after your breakup. And your vagina chose Lucas."

"You're so fucking weird." Maya snorted, shaking her head in amusement. "Hey, can you do me a favour before you come over? I need you to do some digging up on some guy at this school. Brandon. I need to figure out if he's got some connection to Lucas in any way. He's super invested in whether I'm hooking up with Lucas or not. Asks about us every time we converse."

"…Mr. Broody?" Missy asked after a few seconds of thinking about who Maya was talking about. "Usually in the art room smoking?"

"Yeah. And what a coincidence: I call him that too."

Missy laughed. "I can try. You want this by tonight?"

"Preferably. Anything you can get on him. It doesn't have to be his life story."

"Hmmm…" Missy said pensively. "This is going to cost you big time though. I mean, the time I have to find this information is so short, not to mention he's the most secretive person in this entire school. No one knows his last name. The school doesn't even have his address on record."

Maya gave her a weird look. "How do you know that?"

"Not important." she smiled, flipping her shiny brown hair over her shoulder. "In any case, I'll let you know an appropriate exchange later. This is my classroom. See you tonight, Maya."

"Bye."

Maya continued on her way to her English course, feeling quite confident in herself.

Her plan was coming along nicely. And aside from her momentary lapse of judgement in class, she was doing quite well. She could just taste triumph at the tip of her tongue. But this was also around the time that things usually went wrong for her too. She only hoped nothing else would get fucked up in her life and complicate things.


	18. Dial Up The Heat

**A/N: Hey lovely people! Don't forget that I generally will keep you guys informed on what's going on with my updates nd why I'm absent and such on my chapter progress bar on my profile. I can't devote more time to all my stories right now, especially because of the project I'm working on until March. Check my profile for what is going on with that. It will shed some light on why I'm so neglecting right now.  
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 **Lol I like exaggerated dramatics. I hope you enjoy my venture into temporary dramatics. Lol "dramatics." Change is coming soon!  
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 **Thank you for your patience with me guys! I appreciate the support!** ** **Once March comes around, my busy schedule will definitely subside a bit and I'll be able to put more time into my stories. Until then, I request that you please wait for me! I know waiting for a long time can get daunting (believe me, I've been there lol. I'm still there now) but I'll get back to my regular updating the way it used to be. I'm just pretty busy right now. In the meantime, I'll update various stories bit by bit.** Thanks! :)  
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 **Disclaimer: I do not own GMW or the characters, but shit... if I did... You guys better run... ヽ(￣д￣;)ノ=3=3=3**

* * *

Maya walked into her room, back from the bathroom, and resumed her place by the window where she had been drawing. Missy's phone buzzed with a text, and she recapped her nail polish to read the message.

"Oh hey. Looks like Britt finally posted the date and time of her party. I know you're busy with your whole seduction scheme and all, but you should definitely come with us to Britt's eighteenth birthday bash tomorrow night. Everyone's invited."

"Tomorrow? As in on a school night?" Maya asked incredulously. "I mean, my mom will probably let me go, but who has a birthday party on a school night? I'm not so sure I'm a fan of going to school with a hangover the next day."

"Don't lie. You know you don't give a shit about school. And neither do the majority of the seniors in our grade. Britt's one of those cheerleaders who don't give a fuck. Trust fund in the millions. Water slide in her backyard pool. Butlers and shit. That kind of cliché. But she throws _amazing_ parties. Life time opportunity here," Missy continued, picking back up her nail polish bottle to finish cleaning up her nails. "It'll be fun. It'll give you a chance to actually enjoy Austin and your new school. If you spend all your time focusing on your bet, you won't be able to enjoy all that this place has to offer, especially since you live here now."

"I guess I could go."

"Great. I'll stop by and pick you up, okay?"

Maya hadn't really thought about going to parties since coming to Austin. For one, she hadn't come to Austin expecting to make friends or involve herself with anything in the school since she had been in the mindset that she would be going quickly back to New York. And second, the idea of going to a party without Riley to watch over was foreign to her. Usually Maya spent some time keeping tabs on her hyper friend, so it was kind of a weird concept to her, the idea of going to a party without having to take care of someone.

"Hey, careful with your polish," Maya said, staring out her window as she sketched the image of the backyard of the house to practice landscape drawing. "Those covers are worth more than your life."

"Whatever." Missy looked up from repainting her fingernail with a snort, ignoring Maya's concerns. "Enough dilly dallying. We need to talk about the fact that you a) apparently walked into Lucas' room this morning in your underwear, b) hardcore flirted with him during class after not saying a word to him all day, and c) nearly had sex in our classroom."

"It wasn't sex. Besides, I'm confusing him with my actions on purpose."

"Maya, you're being so obvious that it's almost desperate. I say _almost_ because you're pretty vocal to him about how much he pisses you off."

"That's the point." Maya pulled out her desk chair, plopping down into it and kicking her legs up on the wood.

"What?"

"I'm being obvious but the minute he 'reciprocates', I'm hard to get. My fickle behaviour will drive him crazy. And then when the time is right, I'll strike when it's hot and force Bucky McBoingBoing to wake up and acknowledge me."

" _Bucky McBoingBoing_? Oh my God. Is that what you call his penis?!" Missy started laughing. "I always knew you were an odd bird, Maya, but that's just nuts. Pun intended."

"Regardless, this is the best way to get him to want me in his bed."

"How do you know?" Missy asked curiously.

Maya shrugged. "I don't know. I can just kind of tell that's the type of guy he is though. He's looking for someone who can keep up with him in all aspects of life and shit."

"You barely know him. How did you come to that conclusion?"

"Yeah, I barely know him, but I think that's the type of guy he is. It's a feeling I get."

Honestly, she couldn't really say with utmost certainty that she knew what Lucas was looking for, but she kind of felt like she'd figured him out a bit. He was pretty transparent in the way he lived his life. He never made his intentions a secret, and he was pretty blunt. What she saw was what she got. And she got the feeling that Lucas was itching for a _real_ challenge. He was trying to find someone who could combat him on even ground.

And that was where she came in.

"Well," Missy remarked. "That's definitely worth looking into."

"And speaking of 'looking into' something, tell me what you found on Mr. Broody."

"I did find out something pretty interesting. Brandon, the guy who keeps asking you if you're trying to hook up with Lucas? He went to Lucas' old middle school," Missy said. Maya's head lifted from her drawing in surprise, and she rolled around in her chair and faced Missy, her eyes widening a bit. "This was after Lucas got expelled and moved briefly. They went to school together in a different county for about a year. And then Brandon came to our high school in tenth grade. That's all I could find out short notice. There might be a connection there. Or not. But I think that's a little too coincidental to just be a hunch anymore, Maya."

"They actually do have some sort of connection?" Maya said excitedly. "Holy shit. That's perfect."

What if she was right? What if Brandon and Lucas really did have some sort of enemy relationship?

"So what are you going to do now that you know this?" Missy asked, a grin on her face. "You're not just going to sit on this info, right?"

"Of course not." Maya set her sketch on her desk and stood up, heading towards the door and gesturing for Missy to follow her. "I'm going to bring Brandon up somehow and see how Lucas reacts."

Missy climbed off the bed, rubbing her hands together evilly as she walked with Maya out of her room.

"Ooh this is going to be good. Where's Lucas?"

"Zay told me they're hanging out downstairs playing pool." Maya gave Missy a playful nudge. "Billy couldn't come over though. Sorry to disappoint you."

Missy gave her a dirty look and Maya laughed in amusement. She led them to the back stairwell she remembered would head down to the basement from that first tour she'd gotten the week before.

"Okay, whatever. So I have a crush on Billy." Missy's cheeks turned a slight shade of pink. "Shut up about it already. It's not that big a deal."

"Oh this is a very big deal. _The_ Missy Bradford who is unfazed by anything and has everyone under her control because of the information she possesses finally has a weakness I can definitely use against her."

"Hey, I'm helping you with the bet! I get immunity."

"Not with the way you've been blackmailing me, you don't."

"It's called equivalent exchange, bitch. I scratch your back, you scratch mine." Missy said faux haughtily, crossing her arms in front of her chest and turning her nose up. "Totally fair. Especially since I'm not even supposed to be help… ing… _Damn_."

Missy tapered off with a soft gasp as Maya took her through the basement's party room to get to where Zay said he and Lucas were. Even Maya was left a little speechless seeing the room again. She'd already gotten a glimpse of the luxury of the house when she'd gotten an initial tour, but it was still amazing to see the extravagance of this entertainment basement.

"This room is probably worth more than my life." Missy muttered, pulling her phone out of her pocket and snapping pictures of the basement. "Wow, my client is going to love seeing this. Look at all this fucking liquor. And I thought Lexi had a huge house…"

"Everything in this house probably is worth more than our lives. Even the towels."

Maya retraced her memory in the direction of the small billiards room, Missy in tow, gawking at equipment and snapping thousands of pictures. Sure enough, when they got in the room, Lucas was leaning against the wall watching as Zay aimed for a shot, arm and pool stick cocked back, his eyes trained on the cue ball and a solid he was trying to pocket.

"Babineaux." Maya called out, right as he tried to make his shot.

Zay jumped slightly, his breath hitching in surprise as his hand slipped. He hit the cue ball harder than he'd been attempting and missed the ball entirely. The cue ball ricocheted off the wall, rolling past any other balls and landed in a corner pocket. Missy cracked up, laughing at Zay's shocked face.

"Scratch," Lucas said, snorting in amusement. "You suck at this, Zay."

"Hell no!" he straightened, spinning around indignantly and pointing a dramatic finger in Maya's direction. She put her hands up innocently. "I was distracted by Maya!"

Lucas laughed. "Irrelevant. If you can't keep focus, that's not my problem."

Zay gave Maya a look. "Really? Did you have to do that? I was going to win."

"I couldn't help it." She shrugged sheepishly. "And hate to break it to you, but there are two stripes and five solids. Unless you can pull a hat trick out of your ass, I don't think you were going to win."

"Why'd you guys come downstairs anyway?" Zay asked curiously, watching as Lucas took the cue ball out of the pocket and replaced it on the billiards table.

"Nothing really." Missy blew on her nails to help them dry faster. "Just wondering if you guys heard about Britt's party tomorrow night. You going?"

"Might as well," Lucas responded, leaning down and concentrating to make his shot.

"What? Need fresh meat to hook up with since you ended things with Nikki?" Maya snarked.

Lucas' lips curved up in a smirk as he glanced up briefly at Maya. He made the shot, the cue ball cracking against the striped ten. Maya watched as it shot into a pocket, her brow slightly quirked, impressed. Clearly he had good control and technique. Not as good as her, though she could tell he was probably a decent player.

"Perhaps," he finally said, straightening and moving around for a different angle to get his last ball in.

"Pig," she retorted.

"Sorry you see me that way, Shortstack."

Zay rubbed his chin pensively. "This will be your first party here, right Maya? You ready for the craziness that is our high school?"

Lucas got his last ball in and pointed to one of the corner pockets to indicate his intended target for the win. He made the shot and the black ball rolled in effortlessly.

"I'm sure I can manage, Zay," Maya drawled. "Unlimited booze, drunk people grinding on the wall, horny people making out on couches or fucking in bedrooms and closets, crazy guys swinging on chandeliers, topless girls dancing on tables. Did I miss anything?"

Zay laughed. "Yupp, that's about the gist of it."

"Well, I have it on record from several guys that you're the designated target to try to hook up with since you're brand new and no one has had you yet, Maya." Missy commented nonchalantly.

She glanced at Missy in confusion, wondering why she was making this strange statement, when she picked up on the expectant look Missy was giving her. Maya paused, her brows lifting slightly as the cogs turned in her head. Missy gave her a subtle nod, and Maya grinned, walking around to the side of the table and leaning on the edge, watching Lucas carefully as he pulled balls out of the pockets to reset the game.

"Not my problem since I'm not going to hook up with any random guys," she said carefully. "I've got my eye only on Brandon."

Lucas paused in setting up the game, a brief frown passing over his features before he straightened and turned to Maya. She fought her urge to squeal, happy that she'd gotten some kind of reaction from him. She was definitely on the right track.

 _Well that certainly got his attention_.

"Brandon, you said?" Lucas asked slowly, the expression on his face a little hard to read. "The one at our school?"

"Who else?"

"Not a good idea getting involved with him, Shortstack," Lucas said offhandedly, though there were no traces of amusement on his face at all.

Maya grinned, pleased by his sudden interest in the topic. He usually carried himself with indifference and she welcomed the unease he seemed to be exuding. Clearly he was bothered by this new information, even if he was acting like it didn't particularly affect him.

"And why not? _Jealous_?"

Lucas didn't respond, only rolling his eyes and continuing to finish setting up the table. Maya wanted to take his silence as confirmation and wanted to hope that maybe he was jealous, but there was something about the set of his jaw that didn't really exude envy or irritation. He kind of looked… _concerned_.

What the hell was up with him?

Maya glanced at Missy who only shrugged in confusion over Lucas' strange response to her baiting.

"So…" Zay dragged the word out, breaking the odd tension that had settled over the room. "Maya, you ever been to a rodeo? Layla is having a work function here this weekend. There won't be any peace or quiet so a bunch of us are heading out to a rodeo. Why don't you come with us? Consider it your initiation into life in Austin, Texas."

"No thanks. Not sure I want to be around a bunch of drunk people watching some guy get his neck broken from riding a bull."

"It's actually a lot of fun. Getting wasted, cheering, avoiding vomit. It's wild."

It sounded terrible.

"Not really interested in going to a hillbilly gathering."

"Don't bother trying to convince her, Zay," Lucas said, arms crossed in front of his chest with a derisive grin on his lips. "She wouldn't be able to handle it anyway. Not to mention she'd probably get trampled by the crowd."

Her eyebrow twitched in annoyance from the jab at her size.

"I would so be able to handle it."

"I don't think so." He snorted. "We'd have to babysit you the entire night."

"No, you wouldn't, dick." Maya snapped. "You know what, Zay? _Fine_. I'll come with you guys to this stupid rodeo."

"Gee, Maya." Zay grinned, chuckling to himself in amusement. "Whatever made you change your mind?"

"This asshole thinking he knows what's going through my mind."

"If you're coming with us," Lucas said, putting more chalk on the top of his pool stick, "then make sure to bring one of those child leashes so we can keep track of where you are so you don't get lost."

Missy snickered at that, quickly hiding her face behind her hands when Maya gave her a dirty look. Clenching her teeth, Maya stood from her resting spot, marching over to Lucas.

"You know, I'm tired of hearing your shit. Put your money where your mouth is," Maya said. "Or rather… your clothes."

Missy and Zay looked at Maya in confusion, neither understanding what she was talking about. Lucas was also staring at her with much the same look on his face, brows furrowed as if he thought she was absolutely insane.

"What?"

"That's right, Huckleberry," Maya said, a devious smile on her face. "I challenge you and Zay to a game of strip pool against me and Missy."

"What?!" Missy exclaimed. "Hey, I did not sign up for strip pool! You can't use me as collateral!"

"I can call Billy to come over," Zay said slyly. "Would you be up for it then?"

Missy turned toward him slowly, her expression dark and a treacherous aura surrounding her.

"What did you just say?" she growled.

"Nothing." Zay took a large step away from her, a sheepish grin on his face. "Nothing at all…"

"Interesting." Lucas leaned back against the wall, a brow raised in intrigue. "What purpose does playing strip pool even serve?"

The obvious purpose to infect his mind with thoughts of her without clothes on or with thoughts of her clothes being taken off. Not that he knew that, though. Either way, she had no doubt he would take the bait. She needed to redeem herself again after screwing up that afternoon and falling for his game. She needed to break the advantage he currently had and even out the score.

"Because we both like risks and high stakes. We win; you shut the fuck up about me for once in your life. You win? You can make as many jokes at my expense as you want. And also because I'm better than you and want to see how you fare against me."

"Right…" He pulled a stick from the holder on the wall beside him and held it out to Maya. "Well, why don't we play and find out?"

She took it from his hand, straightening to her full height (which annoyingly wasn't all that much) to show she wasn't intimidated in the least.

"Then it's on?"

He leaned down closer to her, eyes dancing in amusement.

"You do realize if you lose you're going to be naked, right?"

"Yeah, that's kind of what the game 'strip pool' implies," Maya snarked.

"I don't think you get it, Maya," he said in a low tone of voice. "You've only ever let one guy see you without any clothes on. How hard was it to let him see everything? Think about it: everything will be completely exposed and you'll have nothing to hide yourself with. Can you honestly get comfortably nude in front of me?"

He was right.

Josh taking off her clothes the first time they'd had sex had actually been a particularly nervewracking experience for her. It hadn't even been because she was self-conscious or anything. Thanks to walking in on her mom several times and getting the talk multiple times as well, things with the body didn't make her iffy nor did she feel uncomfortable showing her body.

But the idea of sex and her being nude made her a little nervous. She supposed it had a lot to do with vulnerability and the fact that she was laying herself totally bare in all ways to the person, putting herself out there completely for them.

The answer to his question was easily no. She couldn't get comfortably nude in front of him. But she couldn't let that deter her.

 _I'm not anywhere near drunk enough for this kind of shit._

It was true; that was a terrifying notion, knowing that she might have to strip to buck nakedness in front of the last guy on earth she would ever want to be naked with. It was kind of intense in some ways too. Like she was hopping into something more serious than she wanted to when she'd originally made this bet. There was no going back, honestly. She had to step her game up each time she associated with Lucas or drop out and lose the bet.

"I'm not scared."

Five balls for Lucas would get him the victory versus her three she supposed. But _three_ balls was all she could afford for him to get in unless she wanted to be playing pool with her ass or tits out. This was very sudden death.

And she _loved_ it.

"Alright then," Lucas said.

"Shoes count." Maya rested a hand on her cocked hip, staring up at him unconcerned.

"Accessories don't."

"I choose what you lose if I get a ball in."

"And I'll choose what you lose."

"Game ends when you lose all your clothes."

Lucas' smirk grew and he took a step forward, setting both hands on the table behind her. She held his magnetic gaze steadily, keeping her expression carefully unaffected despite his proximity.

"You mean you, Maya," he murmured.

"I know what I said, Lucas," Maya replied in the same low tone.

Zay rose a brow, glancing at the two of them before he turned to Missy. "What the fuck is going on?"

"That? That's called _foreplay_ , Zay." She shook her head in slight disgust. "Anyway, I'm not playing, Maya. Don't want to chip my nail polish. Or get in the way of whatever this thing you guys are doing is."

"Yeah… me neither," Zay said, eyeing the two of them. "You guys are giving off some pretty intense vibes. Not sure I want to play this game with either of you crazy people."

Maya rose a brow though she didn't take her eyes off of Lucas in their little clash of wills. If he thought for a second she was going to back down anytime soon, he had another think coming.

"I can't stay and watch you two fuck on a pool table."

"Not gonna happen." Maya rolled her eyes.

"I'm not into voyeurism either," Missy said. "We'll be upstairs in the safety of the den if you need us."

Missy and Zay left the room, both of them giving Maya secret thumbs ups from behind Lucas as they made their way out. As soon as their footsteps disappeared, Maya felt the temperature in the room drop, a sudden chill passing down her back when Lucas' smile slowly dropped from his face, his expression growing a little dangerous.

"Your partner just left. You still up for the game, Shortstack?" he asked quietly, an edge to his tone that made goosebumps rise on the back of Maya's neck. "Just you and me. I'll even let you break."

She didn't trust him. Not one bit, and especially not with that look in his eyes. The two of them in the basement alone playing a stripping game? Sounded like disaster waiting to happen. But she couldn't look like a chicken in front of him now. She had to be fearless.

 _Easy Swallows, you're up_.

"If you think you can keep up, Sundance." She shrugged, reaching out with her free hand and loosely grasping the fabric of his shirt.

Lucas' smirk returned. "When I win, I'm keeping your panties, you know?"

"Perv." Maya said, turning around and facing the table. She bent over exaggeratedly on the table, her ass poking out and brushing against Lucas' legs. She'd never played pool with heels on before, but she didn't think they would throw off her center of balance that much. "Now move. You're too close."

He took a step back, his eyes clearly on her ass as she cocked her arm back to start their game. Maya gripped the pool stick more tightly than was necessary and raised her stick up so it wasn't level with the table. She was in terrible form and it was definitely something her dad would have been appalled to see her do, but her goal was to distract Lucas and make him underestimate her. The better she was at the start, the more on edge he would be and the more seriously he would take this. She needed him careless and cocky before she struck back and claimed her victory.

She broke the pyramid, aiming away from the front and putting less speed in her strike to make sure no balls wound up inside the pockets. The pyramid broke just enough for it to count, but the balls didn't spread altogether that far, a couple clusters still remaining.

"Whoops," Maya said half-heartedly.

Lucas snorted. "That's how you break? You sure you want to be playing against me?"

She shrugged, moving aside as Lucas took a position to clear up the shitty break she'd just done. He stared at the arrangement for a few seconds, clearly thinking up his next move before he finally set himself. He knocked the cue ball into the fifteen, but made no attempt to try to aim for an actual pocket. The clusters cleared, balls rolling away to various areas and opening up several options for Maya.

Maya was impressed. Lucas had pretty damn good control. He could have easily gotten something in, even accidentally, from the way the balls had been clustered from her initial break. But she knew he was also testing the waters, trying to see what she would do to gauge what kind of player she was. Maya chose an easy solid shot, one that was pretty hard to miss for anyone, even inexperienced people, and knocked it in with ease. A brief glance in his direction proved from his expression that he probably thought she was an average player and that he had this game in the bag.

"Shirt," Maya said.

Lucas took the hem and pulled it up and over his head, dropping it on one of the plush couches in the room. Maya stared at him, fighting the urge to ogle him.

Lucas was seriously some damn delicious eye candy. Broad shoulders, the muscular planes of his chest and the ridges of his abdomen and torso. The end of the trail of hairs obscured by the top of the jeans riding low on his hips. No wonder people went crazy over him. He definitely knew how attractive he was too, judging by the drop dead smirk and raised brow he gave her. He was so utterly cocky and arrogant. For the thousandth time she'd probably asked herself since meeting him, why the hell was it that he was so overwhelmingly sexy, yet had such a revolting personality?

"Your turn again, Maya," he said in amusement when her eyes met his.

He clearly was enjoying her reaction to his current shirtless state. Avoiding his direct path, she walked around the table to aim for another easy shot. Then she purposely hit it harder than necessary to ensure it wouldn't end up in the pocket.

"Are you really that bad at pool?" Lucas asked as he took his position to get in one of the stripes. "This is kind of sad."

 _That's right. Keep underestimating me, babe. You'll be in for a nasty surprise._

Maya hid her smile by pretending to look at the taxidermy deer head, listening to the clack of balls hitting each other as Lucas took his shot. Shortly after, there was a noise indicating the landing of an object in one of the pockets. She glanced momentarily over her shoulder, watching as he lined up for another shot. He made that one in too.

Perfect. She'd done enough handicapping. Now she was going to get serious.

"Shirt and skirt," he said.

Maya slowly popped open the buttons of her blouse, one by one, feeling the weight of his gaze on her back as her shirt loosened. She shrugged it off her shoulders, letting the top trail down her arms, past her hands, and fall to her feet in a disorderly heap. Then she unzipped her skirt, swallowing a bit hard as it loosened on her hips. She let go of it, letting it drop to the floor. She was so glad she'd decided to keep on her nice bra and matching panties that day. She could have been wearing the comfy granny panties she kept for period days and lounging around days. And she knew he would have never let her live it down if that were the case.

"Heels and my underwear?" Maya snorted, stepping out of the pool of her skirt at her feet and trying to fight the way her heart was pounding in her chest. She felt kind of exposed. It wasn't like she'd never been in her underwear in front of Lucas before, but the circumstances were different. For one thing, he wasn't half asleep, and she didn't have total control of the situation, which was worrisome since he was something of a loose cannon on occasion. "You're such a guy."

She didn't dare make the mistake of turning around to face him or making eye contact. She knew she would lose her nerve, and she was pretty certain that whatever she saw in Lucas' piercing gaze would make her a bit anxious. Or turn her on. Neither of which she needed right now.

Lost in thought, she didn't notice that Lucas had approached her until his shadow suddenly appeared on the wall, some of the light blocked out. She stiffened when his hands trailed the skin of her waist, his touch barely there, but still enough for heat to crawl down her back and settle under her navel.

"What can I say?" he murmured in her ear, sinfully low, his breath tickling the nape of her neck. "I didn't get a chance to appreciate the view this morning. I wanted a reprise."

Maya stood perfectly still, not trying to give away the fact that his chest against her back and the heat from his body and that amazing cologne _was_ affecting her. She couldn't help it. It'd been a while since she'd been close to someone in this way. She _was_ kind of turned on. But then again, they were in a secluded area of his basement losing articles of clothing. And she could admit that she found him unbelievably physically attractive. It made sense for her to be a bit aroused.

And she got the feeling he was too.

Maya took a slight step back, pressing her body closer to Lucas to see if she could gauge if he by any chance had a boner. But before she could properly check, Lucas lifted a hand and covered her eyes, suddenly bringing her in darkness.

"What the fuck are you doing?" Maya growled, two seconds from squashing his toes with her sharp heels.

She felt his chest vibrate with his chuckles.

"I want to know…" he muttered darkly. "When I cover your eyes, does my cologne make you think I'm Josh? Are you imagining he's behind you right now?"

Maya's breath caught, and she felt rage bubble up sharply in her before she could contain it. She reached up and yanked his hand off of her face before taking a wide step forward, breaking contact away from him.

 _This asshole! Does he think that cruel comment is funny?!_

"You're a _prick_ , you got that?" Maya spat, spinning around and glaring up at him furiously. "I hate your stinking guts."

"But you don't really hate me," Lucas said, closing in on her until he blocked her gaze of anything else. He backed her up fully into the wall, his arms on either side of her head. Maya suddenly had déjà vu of the first time she'd come to his house for dinner and he'd gotten her in the same position. Only back then, they'd had all their clothes on. "You hate that you can't control yourself around me. You hate the fact that you can't resist what I'm offering, no matter how much you act like you don't want it. You hate the fact that no matter how much you wish you weren't attracted to me, you are. And you hate the fact that every time I'm near you, you think about Josh."

"You're revolting." She stared defiantly up at him, her pulse thrumming in excitement, her body revved up and itching for a fight. "And you're wrong."

"Am I? You're into me. You proved that this afternoon in class."

Was he trying to turn her reverse psychology tactics on her or something? He had a lot of nerve if he thought after all the shit he'd put her through since the moment she'd met him and the terrible way he behaved that she would honestly ever want to be with him. Yes, maybe being so obstinate about it at this point may not have been the best choice, but Lucas made her blood boil and right now, the only thing on her mind was that she wanted to prove him wrong.

"Listen fuckwad. If we were the last two people on earth and I had the choice between sleeping with you to save us and hopping off a cliff, I'd hop off the cliff every time because there is no way in hell I would ever want to be another notch on your dirty belt."

"Is that so?"

"It is."

They stared at each other, Maya's jaw clenched in irritation. Lucas had a small smile on his face, though his expression was more impressed than anything else. In fact, his expression reminded her a lot of the one he'd had in the classroom.

Right before he'd leaned forward.

Almost involuntarily, her eyes drifted down to his lips.

It wouldn't be hard to just grab him and kiss him. She really could. She could just yank him down and throw him off guard, but she knew how badly that action would be misconstrued from their current state of undress. He'd gain way too much ammo to use against her. She would seem too eager. Too easy. And it wasn't time for that yet. If she made her move at the wrong time, all her careful planning would go to waste.

"You're mad because everything I said was true," Lucas continued.

He wasn't getting the upper hand this time.

Maya put her hands on his abdomen, rising from the wall and nudging him back, trying to ignore the contours of his muscle under her hands. Lucas stepped away from her, and they continued to stare each other down, Maya's arms crossed in front of her chest as she glowered at him.

"I'm mad because you're a jackass. Nothing more, nothing less."

Their standoff was interrupted when Zay suddenly reappeared in the doorway of the billiards room, rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly.

"I hate to interrupt when you guys are… whatever it is you're doing," he said, "but Lucas, Layla is home. She's looking for you. You two should probably get dressed."

Maya was a little annoyed that things had gotten interrupted before their proper conclusion, but she took heed of Zay's warning. If Lucas didn't show up, Layla would probably look for him. And the last thing Maya wanted was for them to possibly get caught by his mom wearing less clothes than was probably considered appropriate. The last thing she wanted was for the host of the place she was staying at to think that she was fucking her son.

"I guess we have no choice but to postpone the game," Maya growled, still piercing Lucas with every ounce of disgust she could possibly give him.

"I guess so."

~.~.~

Maya absentmindedly scooped out a spoonful of her mother's and her favourite coffee flavoured ice cream, popping it in her mouth and sucking the creamy goodness off of the spoon. She wasn't a fan of coffee whatsoever, but this was just about the only thing she could stomach with that flavour. And this particular ice cream had great therapeutic qualities, especially for an insomniac in the middle of the night. She and her mother always ate this when they were stewing in their own thoughts and needed time to think.

And right now, she really needed to think.

She was restless, unable to fall asleep after the long day that she'd had. She'd been exhausted after Missy had left, wanting nothing more than to sleep off the rest of the day and forget about the charged game of pool and above that, Lucas' mindset of superiority, but upon hopping into bed, no sleep had come. She'd gotten a bit lax with her motivation for getting back at Lucas with the bet, but now it had come back full force because of his stupid reminder of Josh and his stupid comments as if he thought he knew her life.

Her thoughts were disrupted when Lucas shuffled into the kitchen, arms stretched over his head as he yawned languidly.

She rolled her eyes when she saw him, annoyed that her quiet introspection and peace that evening had been ruined by his arrival.

"You do realize you lost, right?" he said without prelude, though Maya knew exactly what he was referring to.

They'd never had the chance to go back downstairs and finish up that game.

Maya licked her lips of the ice cream on them before rinsing her spoon in the sink and popping it in a rack in the dish washer. She wiped her hands on a dish towel before replacing the lid of the ice cream and taking it back to the freezer.

"Actually, it was inconclusive because the game was interrupted."

"I got two consecutive balls in, and it was my turn again. I think it's safe to assume what would have happened."

"Oh for sure," Maya said without missing a beat. "I would have definitely beaten you."

He underestimated her. He was still doing it now. Maya wasn't dumb. She'd learned how to play pool from one of the best. She'd developed a system. Letting people think they were doing better than her while also letting them continue to get their balls in, sometimes even getting in one of theirs with hers, was the best way to get them cocky and particularly careless.

For her, pressure was her greatest strength. The higher the odds and stakes against her, the more fun the game was and the better she did. She typically tried to let her opponent get a three ball lead before she made any real attempts to clean up her game. There was just something so satisfying about being so far behind and then coming out of nowhere and kicking ass and winning.

"You know you would have lost."

Maya stopped before she made her way out of the kitchen, a sudden surge of irritation passing through her. She was really getting tired of his haughtiness and how self-assured he was. As if he had the whole world in the palm of his hand.

"Aww. Are you mad that you didn't get to see me naked?" Maya cooed derogatorily, turning back around and approaching him. "Too bad. The only one who'll ever get that privilege is _Brandon_."

Lucas opened the fridge with a frown, pulling out a water bottle from its depths. "You're actually going after him?"

She shrugged. "What can I say? I like my guys a little rebellious."

He eyed her from the side, a very obvious look of disdain briefly passing through his face before he replaced it with his trademark indifference.

"You have no idea what you're doing, do you?" Lucas shook his head in distaste.

"What?" Maya growled.

His eyes narrowed. "I told you he's not someone you should get involved with."

"And I told you you're jealous. Which, _clearly_ , I was right about." Maya snorted and shook her head in amusement, walking by him to head back to her room and turn in for the night.

Before she could move completely past him, Lucas caught her wrist and stopped her. Maya froze, turning back around to face him, ready to bark at him to let her go until she saw his expression.

He looked _concerned_.

She could say that with utmost certainty now since she was looking directly into his eyes. It was extremely subtle and hidden behind what seemed to be a curtain of apathy, but it was there, swirling in the depths of his sea-foam gaze. Maya's brows rose in slight surprise.

He let go of her wrist, letting it drop to her side. "You're going to regret it."

"Regret what? Sleeping with Brandon? I don't think so."

"It's pretty obvious why you're doing this."

That same cocksure tone had crept its way back into his voice, and Maya found her eyes narrowing angrily, ready to chew him out.

"Oh yeah? And why am I doing this Mr. Know It All?"

She didn't believe he could know at all about the bet—she hid her intentions very well—but she really did want to know what kind of stupid conclusions he'd come to this time.

"You're trying to get over Josh." Lucas said simply with a shrug, taking another nonchalant sip of his water.

Maya bristled, not having expected that kind of response from him. Her fists clenched by her side.

"What?"

"Look. I don't give a shit what you want to do to heal from getting dumped, but you shouldn't use other people to get over heartbreak. You'll regret it in the long run. Just some advice since you're clearly way in over your head."

She stared at him, shocked by his words. He looked and sounded really serious, no playful tone to his words and no mirth in his eyes, but she shook her head in disbelief. Was he actually worried about her? Or was this yet another one of his games where he took nothing seriously and messed with people?

"Why the fuck do you keep bringing up Josh, shitheel? This _isn't_ some rebound ploy. Contrary to what you believe, I'm actually over Josh, but thanks to your frequent reminders and constantly bringing him up, you're not helping one bit. So can you please get off of that? And on top of that did it ever occur to you that maybe I'm going to be with Brandon at the party because I _want_ to sleep with him? Maybe I just need a little release. And he's available."

They fell silent for a brief moment and Lucas' expression gradually shifted, the initial neutrality turning a bit dark, the ghost of a sneer forming on his lips.

"Oh really? I have a hard time believing that."

"That I'm over Josh? Are you fucking kidding me?"

"That you want to sleep with Brandon for a little release. You just don't seem like the type cut out for meaningless sex. You're a relationship girl. The kind who will get attached to anyone you sleep with, even if you try to pretend you won't."

"And how would you know?"

"You carry yourself a certain way."

Maya walked right up in front of him, taking hold of the front of his sweatpants and yanking Lucas forward until the space between them was nearly nonexistent. Up close and personal like that, she could see the soft, blonde scruff dotting his jawline. Even his fucking facial hair made him sexy.

"And you know that from what? A few days of conversation? A week of being acquainted? Yeah, okay, Einstein. Whether meaningless sex or not, I don't care." She held his gaze, each word steady and plainly stated to get her point across. "It doesn't matter _who_. I just want my orgasm. And I'm going to get it from Brandon."

Lucas' expression darkened as they stared each other down. It was one of the few times she'd managed to make him completely speechless and she relished in her victory after a string of incidents being tugged to and fro by him.

"And maybe if you weren't such a dick all the time, I might have considered you. Too bad you are a dick though."

"Well good luck then," he said lowly. "Though I doubt it will work out for you considering you won't be able to relax with a guy like Brandon."

"What the hell do you even know about Brandon anyway? You talk like you actually know him, but I've never seen you two once have a conversation."

"What do _you_ know about him?"

"I know enough about him that I can get my orgasm from him. You can trust me on that. And I'm going to enjoy it." Maya let Lucas go abruptly. "Guess _your_ dreams of giving me an orgasm won't be coming true."

"What makes you think I want to?"

"Please. The sex comments, all of your statements on what you could do to me during class. It's obvious. _You're_ into _me_."

"You're pretty confident about that."

"You've never denied it," she riposted swiftly.

 _I win._

She turned around once again to head on to bed, but before she left, she glanced at Lucas over her shoulder.

"We should finish up our game of strip pool one of these days. I would love to see what adorable little mini-Lucas you're hiding in your boxers for you to be so arrogant and cocky all the time."

Then she spun around in a wave of flying blonde hair and made her way off to bed, Lucas' irate silence (and technical loss) on replay in her mind.

She'd hit the jackpot with her decoy. Clearly Lucas and Brandon had some issue with each other. And with the knowledge that they had both been in the same junior high until Lucas came back for high school, it only served to amplify her hypothesis that they were indeed something like adversaries to one another.

And now she could commence on changing her image in Lucas' mind.

She was going to show him just how seductive and careless she was with sex. Tomorrow night. Lucas Friar would want her. She vowed it. She was going to get him hard and prove that he was sexually attracted to her once and for all. And then the game would really begin.

 _You're mine, Bucky McBoingBoing_.


	19. Operation BONER

**A/N: Normally, I respond to everything _first_ before I upload a chapter, but I'm reversing it this time for reasons :3  
**

 **The reason this chapter is sloppy is because I admit that I wrote it quickly to get it out for you all, plus I rushed the revision. This is a temporary chapter until I fix this mess and then I'll replace it (same events, just better written lol).  
**

 **(Full A/N at the bottom).**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own GMW or the characters, but shit... if I did... You guys better run... ヽ(￣д￣;)ノ=3=3=3**

* * *

 **To:** "Honey"

 **From:** "Peaches"

 **Subject:** Re: how's texas peaches? (not how are the peaches in tx, but how is texas, peaches)

hey pumpkin,

thanks for sending me the rest of all your clothes marked with the patented cory matthews stamp of disapproval. i think they should have arrived in the mail today.

going to my first party since i came to this school Riley. wish me luck. this is going to be an adventure. and yes, don't worry. i'll send you the obligatory wasted off my ass pic of me making out with some random guy at my new school like i'm supposed to. and i'll give you all the juicy details about it and stuff. i don't expect that it's going to be anything different from the usual high school party, but i am looking forward to people making fools of themselves.

my reputation at this school honestly doesn't matter at this point, since i've committed to eventually sleeping with friar the fuckboy. at some point or another, people are going to think it's happening or come to know about it, and i'd rather the rumours start early and die down later, then start later and cause fire for the rest of my high school term. honestly, i do kind of feel like i'm doing some sort social experiment like emma stone in easy a. i might become this school's hester prynne. that could be kind of cool?

what did i tell you? cheese soufflé guy is avoiding you because you freaked him out with your overzealous "everyone must have school spirit" behaviour. and no. do not get farkle to knock him out with chloroform. riley, stop freaking out about one person not liking you! if you stop popping out of corners out of nowhere and stalking him to figure out how to change his mind, maybe he'll stop running every time he hears your voice in the hallway.

(which is utterly hilarious! didn't I tell you that was going to happen?)

and before i forget… i have a surprise for you. so i texted topanga to let her know of cory's tyrannical reign over your cellphone and she said she couldn't get it back while he was being stubborn, but that… drumroll please… she's going to let you come visit me this weekend to make up for it!

*cue the squeal of 'yay' heard round the world when you read this*

isn't it great?

i know you have a football game to cheer for friday night, but if you take a red eye from ny to austin, we can still have a couple hours together on friday and spend all of saturday and most of sunday with each other. what do you say? honey&peaches does austin, texas? you can even wear your sunshine cowboy boots~

as for the bet? it's been about a week since this stupid thing started, and the only thing i've managed to do is make an enemy of lucas and strip to my underwear a couple times. (and almost kind of got seduced, but i consider that a fluke). though i did find someone to use to make lucas jealous enough to want me more. kind of like a "your girl is about to get snatched by another dude" type of thing. no guy wants that. i just have to make lucas a little possessive. shouldn't be hard. he seems like the kind of arrogant guy who would view a girl he wants as his property. you remember that brooding guy i told you about once? the one who wouldn't get off my case? he's my decoy. and i'm using him and the party today to ensure lucas' sexual attraction to me.

this is gonna be so much fun.

operation B.O.N.E.R: Get **B** uckyMcBoingBoing **O** ut I **N** Order To **E** xact **R** evenge

…not my best. the name needs a bit of work, but you get the point. (shush, this shit was hard to come up with. i'm working on it.)

let me know your decision about this weekend.

love you always my honey,

peaches

 _(sent 9:24 pm 10/17)_

* * *

Maya stared at the pile of crop tops, sleeveless shirts, and tank tops littering the top of her bed and groaned, still annoyed that she had yet to find something after searching for so long. Missy had basically brought her entire closet of things for Maya and her to figure out their outfits, but now she was torn between them. She didn't usually put too much time into getting dressed—didn't care enough—but tonight was special. She had to look her best and act the best way she knew how to seduce Lucas because this was _the_ opportunity for her to secure her image as a sexual human being in his eyes. Whatever goofy Maya image he had had to die.

But that wouldn't happen if she couldn't figure out what the hell to wear. She really needed Missy to hurry the hell up and get out of the damn bathroom so she could help her choose an outfit that was sizzling hot without being sleazy, and cute, Riley-esque without being prude-ish. Tastefully Trashy, Maya liked to call it.

She looked at herself in her dresser mirror, sighing unhappily at her current top. The skirt was fine she supposed, but the whole long sleeved shirt thing didn't work.

"Too clean cut…"

Rolling her eyes, she took the hem of her shirt and pulled it up to get it off. As she dragged it past her head, she felt it snag on her hair and ear just as she was trying to get it off and groaned, knowing she was stuck. She hadn't brushed her hair properly that morning before school, and now it was a tangled mess. She supposed it was the price to pay for negligence, but it didn't make it any less annoying. Damn her lion's mane. When left it to its own devices, it tended to get crazy on its own.

"Fuck…" she muttered when she tugged on the top and realized it wouldn't budge. She couldn't get it off of her head and even worse, tugging it only pained her ear more. Maya heard footsteps enter her room and turned to face the person, squinting through the stretched fabric of the shirt at the shadow in the doorway. "Missy? A little help please?"

"Not Missy."

Maya rolled her eyes when she heard the amused country drawl. "Don't you know how to knock?"

"In case you didn't notice," Lucas said dryly, "I've got this package in my hands. I can't very well take my hand off to knock without dropping all your shit can I?"

Maya's eyes narrowed. She could just about imagine the smug expression on his face.

"In case _you_ didn't notice, my shirt is stuck on my head—"

He snorted. "Oh I noticed. Nice bra."

"—and I can't see shit." Maya felt her cheeks flush at the mention of her, yet again, embarrassing Looney Tunes themed undergarments. She had to stop wearing them, no matter how comfortable they were. She was so glad he couldn't see her face right now. "And you still could have announced your presence. Use your words."

He ignored her. "Mailman left a package for you. Someone named Riley Matthews sent you something."

Maya tried again to detach herself from the shirt, but again, she felt the discomfort from her motions. "Could you set it down near the door?"

She watched his shadow through her shirt set the box down before he straightened. Lucas chuckled to himself and Maya cursed under her breath, knowing that she was wide open for any kind of verbal bashing and no doubt he would take the opportunity.

"It's funny. Every time I see you, you're always stuck in some awkward position. Anyone ever told you you're accident prone?"

But she wasn't. Not normally. There was just something about Lucas that made her screw up more than usual. Not to mention his habit of walking in at the worst moments. She took a slight step back, hoping he could get the hint and leave. She didn't want to have a "chat" when she couldn't see him properly and she was at a disadvantage.

"I'm not."

Clearly it didn't have its desired effect.

"Do I make you nervous, Maya?" Lucas asked, his tone low and slightly dark.

"No."

 _Sometimes_.

This was so not ideal. Being stuck in the same room as Lucas when he had the total advantage. She had never been more grateful when Missy walked back into the room and diffused the sudden tension.

"Maya, you know your bra is showing, right?" Missy snickered, her footsteps walking right by Maya before she hopped on the bed.

"Missy, you know I'm stuck, right?" Maya shot back. "You could do me a favour and help me?"

"No way. I just finished painting my nails. I'm not chipping them… Lucas, you help her."

"No!" Maya said defensively, trying to tug herself out of her entrapment. "I don't want him anywhere near me when I'm in a bra."

"Funny," he commented dryly. "Was it not you that walked into my bedroom in nothing but your underwear this morning?"

"That was then and this is now," Maya said, only because she couldn't come up with a good enough retort.

He probably thought she was out of her mind with the amount of times she switched up her behaviour. At least she could count on herself being memorable in his mind if all else failed.

"You going to the party, Lucas?" Missy asked, snickering as Maya tried again—unsuccessfully—to get the shirt off of her head.

"I have to. Zay needs somebody to babysit him. He tends to stir up trouble."

"I'll bet." Missy chuckled. "I still remember the incident from last year's Valentine's Day party."

"Meanwhile," Maya said, wondering if they were doing this shit on purpose. "I'm still stuck in my shirt. A little help, Missy?"

"Did you think I was joking? I'm not messing up my nails." Missy singsonged. "But you could always ask Lucas."

"I hate you, Bradford." Maya sighed. "Fine. Can you help me, Huckleberry?"

Lucas snorted. "What's the magic word?"

His voice sounded closer than before, and Maya almost took an involuntary step back when she noticed he _was_ closer. She was a little irritated that she could catch the scent of his cologne through her shirt.

"Help me _please_ ," Maya muttered, letting go of the hem, "…or I'll kick your ass."

"Again with the threats… You're a New York cliché," he quipped. She ignored his comment, willing herself to keep her cool and bite her tongue. "Arms up."

Maya lifted her arms and tried not to flinch when his fingers lightly brushed the skin of her waist as he took the bottom of her top. She briefly wondered if he was doing it on purpose just to get a rise out of her as he pulled it up to find the snag. Maya avoided his gaze, staring at the carpet, unwilling to get sucked into his stupid aura because of whatever expression he would have on his face. She was a little jittery around him, mostly because he'd made it pretty clear that he was as unpredictable as she was. Not knowing his intentions or what was going through his mind made him even more difficult to figure out.

"Your shirt is caught on your earring." Lucas pried it gently loose and then dropped the shirt in her hands, a brow raised as he stared down at her expectantly. Maya didn't make a sound, holding her breath when he didn't move from his position in front of her. "You're welcome."

 _Dammit! Move, you Huckleberry!_

"I was going to say thanks."

He smirked. "Sure you were, Shortstack."

Maya didn't respond and his grin only grew, his eyes dancing in amusement.

"Still refusing to thank me?"

He leaned down a bit, gently lifting up her chin with his finger, much to her chagrin. Something in his expression warned Maya that she was going to get herself stuck in a corner (or worse like tossed on his shoulder like a sack of potatoes) if she didn't diffuse the situation immediately. He was in too much of a playful mood at the moment and she definitely was not.

"Thank you." Maya fought the urge to chew on her lower lip as she took a step back. "Happy? Now get out please. We have to get dressed."

"As you wish," Lucas replied sarcastically, pretending to tip a cowboy hat with a wink before he turned around and made his way out of her room.

Maya shook her head in exasperation and tossed the shirt on the pile of clothes, wondering if all her interactions with him would always exhaust her. People liked to say _she_ was hard to deal with, but Lucas was a real _character_. She didn't understand how anyone could put up with him that long.

"You guys seem to be getting along better." Missy remarked innocently enough. "For a second, I almost thought you two were flirting."

But when Maya glanced at her, she could see the calculating look in her eyes.

"I'm disinclined to agree." Maya shook her head, rummaging through the pile for something else—preferably something without a narrow neckline that could get stuck.

"You know… I never really noticed it before," Missy piped up, blowing on her nails to try to dry them, "but you two could make a really cute couple. Like really cute. You even already have these adorable nicknames for each other."

"Missy, we're not going to be friends after today if you keep this shit up."

She started laughing and lifted up a mahogany ribbed top from the pile on the bed. "Here, _Shortstack_. Wear this one."

Maya caught the top Missy threw at her and slipped it on. She glanced at herself in the mirror. It fit her like a glove, accentuating her exposed waistline and what Katy liked to call the "Hart Contours".

"You look hot, Maya. I'm sure Bucky McBoingBoing will enjoy the view." Missy smiled, picking up her phone and hopping off the bed. "Now hurry up and get your shoes on. We have to get going."

She stooped to put on her pair of boots when she noticed they _were_ pretty late for the party. While she understood the concept of being fashionably late really well, all the alcohol would be gone before they got there and Maya knew she wouldn't be able to get through this evening without it.

"What about my hair?"

"Leave it. It works with the outfit." Missy gave her a thumb's up. "Natural sex hair."

Maya snorted, walking out of the room with her as they headed down the hallway.

"Camille and Lexi said they're going to meet us there. Remember, this is a high school party. Your _first_ high school party. So whatever you do will be talked about for the rest of the year and subsequent school reunions and well into your adulthood because we have no lives and this could be a highlight for many people."

Maya shrugged. "Honestly, I don't care. I have one goal tonight and that's to succeed in Operation BONER, regardless of possible consequences."

"Just checking: you know what you're getting into right? From here on, you have to do more sexual stuff. Mostly with Lucas. Are you prepared?"

Maya stared at his closed door at the end of the hallway uneasily.

"No… but it's now or never. Either way, this is going to happen. Might as well get ready for it now."

"Can I ask you something?" Missy asked, giving her a serious look, her expression calculating (and if Maya was being totally honest, kind of alarming). "Let's pretend everything else except this whole bet thing happened since you came to this school. Let's pretend you still had to live with him and he still made your life hell when you first moved here. Would you have fucked Lucas if he came on to you?"

She doubted it. He was definitely attractive but Maya didn't think she would have been interested in him enough to want to hook up with him. Hell, right now all she felt was an unbelievable dread over what she would have to do.

"Definitely not. Looks aside, he still has that whole 'Hi, I'm Mr. Ass' thing going for him, so I wouldn't have had a desire to."

Missy contemplated her silently for a few seconds, that shrewd look still in her gaze, though she didn't say anything. After a few seconds, she smiled, shaking her head in amusement.

"Interesting."

"What?" Maya asked in confusion.

"Nothing… Now hurry up. We're already late enough as it is."

They headed down the stairs to the kitchen. Maya was hoping her mother would already be knocked out in her bed after a tiring day, but she was leaning against the kitchen counter eating pretzels and reading one of those tabloid filled magazines. When they stopped in front of her, she glanced up, her smile growing on her face as she looked Maya up and down.

"I wasn't aware you could clean up so nicely, baby girl."

"You're hilarious, Mom," Maya drawled, stealing a couple of the pretzels and popping them in her mouth. "I'm going out to a party with Missy tonight. Is that okay?"

"Of course. Feel free to stay out as late as you want," Katy said with a smile. "I'm happy that you've found a friend to party with. But rules Maya. Don't do anything Riley wouldn't do okay? And however late you decide to stay out, remember you still have school tomorrow."

If only her mom knew what type of partying Riley had been doing ever since Maya had corrupted her junior year. And especially recently. It was funny how Katy still seemed to think Riley was this absolutely shy girl who found parties abhorrent.

"Okay, Mom."

Maya started to walk past the kitchen island but her mother reached out and grabbed her shoulder before she could move completely away.

"Uh uh. One more thing." Katy gave her a pointed look that told Maya that despite the playful look on her face, she meant business. "Absolutely _no_ hook-ups with any boys while inebriated, baby girl. I don't think I need to tell you why."

"Don't worry, Ms Hart," Missy said, wrapping an arm around Maya's shoulders with a grin. "I'll keep her from getting into any trouble."

Katy nodded. "Alright then. You two have fun and be safe, okay?"

"Yeah, goodnight Mom."

Maya and Missy left the kitchen and headed to the front door to leave to go to the party. As they left the front door, Missy cracked up.

"Your mom has no idea just how crazy you're about to get tonight, does she?"

"I'd prefer to keep it that way." Maya climbed into the passenger seat of Missy's car. "You're designated driver, right?"

"Yupp. Feel free to get as crazy wasted as you want."

"Good." Maya stretched her arms above her head. She would definitely need to in order to get her plan going. "Let's go."

~.~.~

Zay hadn't been kidding about the craziness of the party. Within minutes of arriving, Maya had walked into a crazy mess of teens on the front lawn cheering on a guy drinking from a keg stand. He hadn't made it very far before he tipped over and hurled chunks all over the ground. It hadn't been much better inside, where people were grinding on each other or nearly having sex against the wall. She expected a bush to get blasted to bits soon enough and then no doubt the party would get busted because someone called the cops.

But that hadn't been her concern.

She and Missy had met up with Camille fairly quickly, who'd been concocting some kind of outrageous mixed alcoholic beverage in the kitchen. Maya didn't know what she'd put in it, but it definitely got her tipsy fast enough.

Maya wasn't sure how many shots she'd knocked back with Camille in the kitchen—she was pretty sure she'd lost a couple rounds of poker at some point too and ended up drinking even more shots—but one thing she knew for a fact was that she definitely felt like she was on the road to getting trashed. It wasn't like she was falling all over herself and incoherent, but she felt unbelievably excited and feeling kind of hyper. She wasn't exactly sure when she'd lost Missy and ended up on her knees on top of a table, swinging her hair around and dancing provocatively like a stripper, but there she was, subtly scouting the faces in the room and trying to find Lucas to a small crowd of people cheering on her moves. She knew he was here. She had run into Zay earlier trying to get a game of strip poker started, and he'd advised her to find Lucas before he found someone to hook up with for the night.

Maya hadn't gotten drunk in a long time, and she'd forgotten how awesome it made her feel sometimes. She felt relaxed and chill for the first time since coming to the school. Like she could forget the crap that made her and her mother want to move in the first place. Like she was invincible. Screw the fact that everyone near the table could probably see up her skirt. She didn't care.

She suddenly felt pinpricks on the back of her neck, a feeling as if the hairs were rising on her neck. Someone was watching her rather intently, and she knew just who it was. Running her hand slowly through her hair, Maya looked over her shoulder, searching for the familiar figure of the guy she'd made it her mission to destroy.

 _Bingo._

Lucas was standing near the wall with Billy and some other guys a little ways across the room, but clearly his attention was not on the conversation at all. It was hard to tell what expression he was wearing on his face, but she knew he was watching her. She had his undivided attention.

And it gave her the fucking thrill of her life.

Holding his gaze, Maya slowly stepped off the table onto the chair beside her. She gripped the edge as she climbed down, her ankles wobbling slightly though she tried to focus on getting her feet to move in a straight line. She knew she was walking towards Lucas, but she couldn't really tell if it was because she was going of her own volition or because of the pull of his heated gaze.

No doubt he really liked what he saw. He probably hadn't thought she'd be the type of girl to dance on tables. She was unpredictable. And Maya knew Lucas was the type of guy who enjoyed unpredictable challenges. And that was where her advantage lied because he had no idea what kind of crazy shit she had up her sleeve.

But she knew he wanted to know.

A slow grin grew on her face as she approached him, not entirely sure what her plan was but knowing that whatever she did had to knock him off guard and had to change the stagnant face of their relationship for good. But she didn't have the time to think. Not now anyway.

Maya stopped directly in front of him, a playful grin on her lips and relishing in the slight confusion on his face. He was trying to figure her out. She felt emboldened by his hesitation, more sure of herself even though she wasn't clear on her game plan. His friends were looking just as confused as he was by her appearance. It was the perfect situation to fuel the rumour mill and feed the gossip gluttons.

 _This is actually kind of fun._

"Huckleberry," Maya said, invading his personal space and leaning into him, blinking up at him through half-lidded eyes.

Lucas smirked. "Can't hold your liquor, Shortstack?"

"I can hold it just fine."

Though she couldn't lie, some part of her felt like she was about to teeter off balance. But Lucas didn't look too occupied, and she didn't have time to waste.

"Mind if I borrow him for a second?" she asked the other guys, though she didn't wait for a response.

She grasped Lucas' shirt and tugged him slowly away from the wall, holding his gaze and hoping that she looked somewhat seductive. Maya didn't consider herself a seductress of any kind, especially with her track record of boyfriends—or rather boyfriend, singular—but she had to practice somehow.

Lucas let her pull him, though his brows were furrowed as she led them away from the vibrant mess of teens trashing up the main living room and past the many people making out on some of the couches and against the wall. She tugged him through a few different rooms until she settled on a fairly deserted parlor room, save for a couple heavily petting each other off to the side and another guy passed out and snoring on the carpet. Maya stopped pulling and guided Lucas towards an unoccupied couch in the parlor until the back of his knees hit the seat. He sat down, staring up at her like she'd lost her mind.

"What exactly are you doing?" he asked slowly.

"Private party for two," Maya said, running her hand through her hair to get it out of her face.

Maya was glad the lights were dimmed in the room. She wasn't exactly sure how flushed her face was, but she had no doubt after all the alcohol and how much dancing she'd done, her hair was probably in disarray. And she didn't even want to know how messed up her makeup probably was either.

"And what exactly is this private party?" he asked, his voice dropping to a low murmur when she stepped between his legs.

"I would give you a lap dance, but I'd rather not fall on my ass right now." Maya rested her hands on his shoulders as she slowly climbed on the couch, maintaining eye contact as she straddled his lap. "I'll just get right to business."

Lucas watched her with a smirk, a slight fire in his darkened gaze. Something kind of hot and intense that made sparks of heat dance in her abdomen. Was that what it felt like to be the absolute center of Lucas' magnetic sensuality? He was still holding back, yet she could definitely feel the pull towards him. Something that made her _want_ to get closer to him physically.

 _He smells amazing…_

"You're nuts," Lucas finally responded.

"So I've been told…" she said, staring down at him evenly and forcing herself to cool it.

Maya felt so ridiculous for getting a little turned on over nothing, but there was something about Lucas that was rendering her slightly weak kneed.

She hated it.

She suspected it had a lot to do with the fact that his cologne was assaulting her senses and making it hard to think. And the alcohol coursing through her veins. Plus, there was the fact that being so close to him, she could feel his body heat and couldn't help but imagine how amazing it _could_ feel to be pressed up fully against him. Could you blame her? Part of her was craving some kind of close intimacy and he was easily fitting the bill, even though he was vile.

"Still think I'm nuts?" she whispered, sitting down completely so her full weight was on his lap.

Maya took her lower lip between her teeth, a slight smirk on her face as she moved so she was directly on his crotch. It was a blatant, obvious move on her part, but she couldn't figure out anything that would work better. It was overt while still keeping her intentions covert. She'd worn a skirt for this exact reason after all. Closer contact equalled a higher chance of success in her plan.

She'd made the next move. It was his turn now.

Lucas didn't answer immediately, though the expression in his eyes grew hard to read. His hands settled on her waist, and he tugged her forward on his lap until their faces were a mere breath apart, his heady gaze locked with hers. Despite her efforts, the way he was looking at her made her pulse jump in anticipation.

Especially when she could feel that he was a bit turned on through his jeans.

"…I think you're bat-shit," Lucas murmured softly, his lips nearly brushing against hers. "And I think you're enjoying this a lot more than you want to admit."

Maya slowly curled her hands around the collar of his shirt, trying to still her slightly shaking hands. She wondered if he could hear her loud as fuck heart beat drumming in her ears. No doubt he could feel the goosebumps along her skin as he slowly dragged his hand across the small of her back. A shiver ran down her back.

His lips pulled up into a dangerous smirk, one that made Maya wonder who really had the advantage in this situation. Lucas knew exactly what he was doing and exactly how to trip her up, even though Maya was fighting to retain the control. He said nothing else, though his gaze slowly dropped down to her lips. He was waiting. Waiting to see what she would do now that he'd dared her to continue this.

"Is that so?" Her gaze momentarily flickered to his lips.

And maybe it was ridiculous, but in that moment, deep down— _hella_ deep down—she did want to kiss him. She may have been playing right into his hands in some way, but she wanted to dominate him. She wanted him to realize that she wasn't going to back down. She wanted to beat him at his own game.

 _No turning back, Maya._

Tossing her last reservation out of her mind, Maya tugged Lucas forward and closed the distance between their lips.

* * *

 **READ THIS PLEASE**

 **I don't normally put A/Ns at the end of chapters and this is the only end chapter A/N that I will ever put in a story, but this needed to be said for all of you:**

 **I'm going to respond to every single comment, every single PM and every kind thing you all have said for the past months, so if you end up getting like ten messages from me in your inbox ahaha I'm so sorry :D Lol even if I don't get any sleep for the next few days, I will definitely do this for you guys because you deserve it. It's the least I could do. I haven't felt like myself in a very very _very_ long time, but I'm getting it back, very largely because of all of you.  
**

 **I cried when I read your well wishes and sweet comments. Cried for days. You guys are the most kind hearted, precious people I have ever had the chance of conversing with/meeting/talking to. March and most of April was an absolute terrible time for me, but thanks to you guys and your sweet, wonderful words, I got through that time well enough. I can't thank you enough for all that you guys have done for me and the patience you've all had with me while I tried to get my life together. You all are so so so so precious to me. I told you before, but I'm going to reiterate: you are truly the people who I owe everything to. If I could give you all a huge hug and big ole slobbery kiss, I would do it every day xD  
**

 **I know I've spent quite a bit of time away from the fandom, and I remember how much fanfiction was an escape for me before I started writing, so I definitely understand how hard it is sometimes to go without something to help take our minds off of every day life. So to the people who told me this was an escape, I'm sorry it took me so long to give you another opportunity to distract yourself from everyday life. Oddly enough, I didn't realize how much writing is also an escape for me until I really sat down to try for real and I felt things start to shift back to the better. But I digress. I just wanted to let you all know once again that for anyone who would like to talk or NEEDS to talk about anything, my PM box is _always_ open, and now that I've gotten most of my studying out of the way (lol maybe 30%), I will be more active on FF once again! I promise I haven't been ignoring anyone; I just hadn't been in the right state of mind to chat with anyone yet and needed some time. But I'm back. And crazier than ever! x3  
**

 **So thank you to all of you. Every single one of you. Thank you for the support and your patience and sticking with me though I am a very inconsistent person. You all are by far the most incredible people I have ever had the chance to communicate with.**

 **Thank you for everything. I love you all.**


	20. No Turning Back

**A/N: Putting up this chapter as I respond to your reviews; I promise I'm trying to take care of it all. Also, I'm on vacation now, so there won't be any more severely long breaks! (Well, at least until first term in Septembre, but since I don't have any remedial courses or exam re-takes, I'm free until then xD)**

 **Lol 20 chapters just to get to this point. We're picking up speed from here on out.  
**

 **Thank you for your sweet reviews. I'm honestly touched by how kind you guys are, how much wonderful support you gave me in a tough time in my life, and how caring you all are. I know I've said it before, but you all mean the world to me and I appreciate everything you have done for me. So thank you, thank you, thank you! :3**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own GMW or the characters, but shit... if I did... You guys better run... ヽ(￣д￣;)ノ=3=3=3**

* * *

Maya hadn't expected Lucas to reciprocate, but it didn't take long for him to take control, something so intoxicating to his kiss that her face flushed. His lips were softer than she had expected. He tasted like the beer that Britt had for the party. She could feel him hardening against her thigh, and Maya gripped his shoulders, grinding against him slowly to rile him up. His hands trailed under her shirt, the cool of his fingers on her waist making goosebumps dance across her skin. When she felt a spark of heat between her legs, she knew she was getting turned on too.

 _Oh my God…_

She could hear some lewd comments behind her and cheering from other people, but she couldn't pay attention to it, her mind going a little blank. Maya wanted to blame the alcohol, but she couldn't deny that she knew she was absolutely into this makeout of her own volition. She wasn't sure how'd she'd gone from seducing him to becoming a nearly trembling, wanton mess from his kiss, but she was lightheaded and her mind wasn't clear and the more they made out, the harder it was for Maya to pull away.

His lips broke away from hers and her soft whine of protest nearly turned into a moan when his lips moved lower. He moved over her jaw and down her throat in slow, torturous kisses that made her fist her hands in his shirt and arch into him, pressing harder against the slight bulge she felt beneath her. He exhaled slowly against her neck, the heat from his breath making a ripple of pleasure run down her back, and that's when Maya realized things were about to go a lot farther than she originally intended.

She only wanted to shake things up a bit. This was too much.

He sucked on the skin, and Maya pulled slightly away, panting for breath, her vision swimming for a second as she tried to quell the heat pooling in her lower abdomen. She had been so close to _moaning_ , and that was the last thing she wanted to do when the success of this plan rested on the tenuous balance she was attempting to create between carnal lust and detestation towards him. Anything more or less, and she'd throw off the game and wreck what she'd built.

"How drunk are you right now, Maya?" Lucas muttered, nipping her collarbone.

She couldn't be more intoxicated than him. Yes, she had downed several shots at once, but it wasn't like she felt dizzy per se, though now that she thought about it, she was starting to feel seriously aroused. Way more than she would expect from making out with the guy she currently was trying to ruin the life of.

"Drunk enough to even consider kissing you." She snarked, shifting on his lap and biting her lower lip when she felt his obvious arousal against her crotch again.

She'd done enough to advance her plot. Maya knew the longer she stayed in this compromising position with him, the harder it would be to get off of him and complete part two. She still had to find Brandon. If she made out with Lucas any longer, she was sure he'd get the wrong idea. She couldn't seem clingy, no matter how much she wanted to continue feeling that fire that he'd ignited in her. She fought her urge to grind on his erection and sat still.

"Then I think we're done here." Lucas rose a brow, letting go of her and crossing his arms in front of his chest. "It's not my thing to hook up with drunk girls. Actually, I think you should go home, since you're clearly not thinking straight."

Maya stared at him incredulously, wondering if he was for real. He looked indifferent now and above that, was smirking like he'd gained some victory over her.

"What?" She felt that familiar irritation crawling up her back and with it, an urge to save face. "You think I wanted to hook up with you? Please."

"Then why did you pull me in here?" he asked in a challenging tone.

"Because I wanted to see what all the hype about you was about." She spat, wanting to screw with his ego like nothing else. She could feel the hot blush on her face, although she was trying not to let herself get embarrassed. "Frankly, I'm underwhelmed."

"You're underwhelmed, huh?"

A dangerous look crept into Lucas' gaze, but she didn't wait for him to say something to piss her off more than she already was. Maya climbed off his lap, turning her nose up petulantly and stalking away, her mind completely clear and determined to finish her mission to seek out Brandon. She walked around the rooms to try to find the brooding asshole, though the memory of Lucas' kiss was burned onto her lips and her heart was hammering in her chest. She figured Lucas would be a good kisser from experience, but that had been way more intense than what she had ever imagined or expected.

But it was time to move on with the next phase of her plan. She shook off her thoughts and continued to weave her way through the mess of people, trying to quell her anxiety and jumping pulse as she looked for Brandon. She could still taste the beer that had been on Lucas' lips, and it was unnerving her more than she wanted to admit. As she rounded the corner into another one of the rooms, this one with more people kicking back than taking part in the raucous merry making, she found Brandon sitting on one of the couches, taking a hit of a joint before passing it off to the person beside him.

Maya had never felt so relieved to see Brandon in her life. She hadn't been confident that he would even show up to the party. Hell, he definitely didn't seem like the type to partake in high school teenage debauchery. But then again, he smoked during school— _in_ the building no less—so who was to say he wasn't the kind to take advantage of free booze at any of these parties?

She walked up to him without a second thought, hurrying to get things done before her plans went down the drain.

"Hey. I need you."

Brandon frowned when she suddenly appeared in front of him, giving her a look like she was crazy. "What?"

She grabbed his hand and tugged him up after her before he could protest. Maya scoped out the coat closet near the foyer and yanked the door open, shoving him inside before making a big show of entering it herself. She slammed the door shut, running a hand through her hair and facing him.

"What the hell are you doing?" She couldn't see his expression that well in the dark of the closet, but from the light coming from beneath the door, she could just make out the annoyed scowl on his face.

"Okay, I need you to pretend like we're about to fuck," Maya stated matter of factly, pulling out her phone from her pocket to text Zay to send Camille to the coat closet. She was easily the loudest person and biggest rapidfire gossip in their entire school and would do perfectly for this plan. She squinted her eyes at the screen, a little dizzy by how blurred some of the letters seemed.

He rose a brow, looking a little more than confused. "What does that have to do with your plan to screw Friar?"

Maya paused mid text, glancing up with furrowed brows at his comment. She knew Brandon was (to an extent) aware that she was trying to get in Lucas' pants and that Brandon (to an extent) was Lucas' enemy for whatever reason, but how on board would he be for Maya's seduction plans? Would it be worth it telling him about the bet? She could reveal it and ask for his help, but he seemed neither a friend nor foe, just a big troublemaker and the last thing she wanted to do was fuck up her plans because she'd put her trust in the wrong person. The more people she let in on her plan, the more dangerous it became to keep it a secret. She needed to test the waters and see how he would react to a little baiting about getting revenge on Lucas.

"I just want to get back at him a little for ridiculing me."

"Ridiculing you when exactly?" he drawled sarcastically. "When you had your tongue shoved down his throat and were about to fuck on a couch?"

Had he seen them making out? If she didn't know any better, she'd say he was jealous. But she didn't get that sense from his demeanour. He was pretty hard to read. If anything, the only vibe she got from him was that he was looking to stir up a disturbance.

(She suspected it was a disturbance to Lucas, which she could _definitely_ deliver).

She sent Zay the text, hoping she'd typed the words in right, and slipped her phone back in the pocket of her jean skirt, a smirk on her face.

"Is that one of your kinks, Mr. Girls Talk To Guys Only When They Want To Fuck Them? Watching people make out with each other?"

His eyes narrowed. "I don't have time for this bullshit. What do you want from me? If you're trying to hook up with Friar, going into a closet with another guy is not going to help."

 _Wrong_.

Going into a closet with another guy was the perfect thing to do. Lucas had _technically_ gotten Maya's first kiss at this school. And Maya felt that in his possessive mind, he most likely was thinking that it meant that she belonged to him now or was off limits to any other guys until Lucas got to screw her. The more egotistical, pompous jackasses were always like that. They thought kissing a girl meant they had a claim to her so no doubt this would drive him up the wall.

Maya pulled the strap of her top down and rucked up her skirt before reaching up and tugging his jacket off his shoulders.

"Has anyone ever told you that you're fucking nuts?" Brandon gave her a weird look, though he didn't seem particularly alarmed. "What are you—"

"Drop your jacket and unbutton your shirt." She ordered. "Now."

He did as he was told despite the wholly confused look on his face. Once he'd done that, she backed up into the wall of the closet, tugging him forward until he had boxed her in against the wall and was leaning heavily against her. She was surprised he didn't protest, letting her move his limbs around as she pleased though she did catch the curious edge to his gaze as he stared down at her.

"So what exactly are we doing?"

"What do you think? I'm making it look like we're about to hook up." She grabbed one of his hands, placing it on her right ass cheek with a smirk. "I give you permission to squeeze my ass, by the way."

Brandon sighed, clearly aggravated by her response when she hitched her leg up on his waist and guided his hand to hold her thigh. "I guess I should have been more clear. _Why_ exactly are you doing this?"

"Because I'm trying to screw Lucas. What part of that don't you get?" she snapped. "Now shut up and look like you're turned on."

She grabbed the back of his head and brought it to the crook of her neck, tangling her fingers in his hair just as the door burst open. Camille stood there, her jaw dropping and eyes growing impossibly wide. Maya gasped extra dramatically, pushing Brandon away from her and looking every bit the part of the guilty person nearly caught hooking up with someone at a house party.

"Oh my God…" Maya muttered, bringing a trembling hand to her mouth.

"Holy shit!" Camille screamed, drawing people's attention over to the craziness happening in the closet. The girl was clearly drunk out of her mind, if her flushed cheeks and obnoxiously high volume were any indication, but it did the trick because people in their area wanted to know what she was freaking out about now. "Are you about to have sex with Brandon, Maya?!"

"Camille!" Maya exclaimed. "Do you mind?! Close the door!"

"Sorry!" She giggled goofily, shutting the door and submersing them in semi-darkness again.

She had definitely been loud as Maya predicted, and she smirked to herself in triumph over the fact that other people caught a glimpse of them in the closet. There was no way word wouldn't spread fast at the party. Everyone wanted to know the deets of party hookups. It was only a matter of time before the info made its way to Lucas.

"Okay. The seeds have been sewn. Now we just have to wait," Maya said, taking a deep breath and mentally preparing herself for the shit storm.

"For who?" Brandon asked slowly, still looking like he was having trouble keeping up with her mindset.

"For _Lucas_ ," she stated like it was the most obvious thing in the world. "Also, I need a favour. I know you probably can't stand me, but if anyone asks you about tonight at school tomorrow, can you operate under the pretenses that we actually _were_ going to hook up?"

"Can I ask you a question?" he said, ignoring her query.

"I'd rather you didn't," Maya replied honestly, not feeling up to trying to fill in the missing puzzle pieces for him. "Especially if you're just going to make pretentious inferences about me again from your own deranged preconceived notions."

He rolled his eyes. "I just wanted to know why you're pretending to hook up with me and going through such huge lengths to get Friar to sleep with you. You'd have to be blind not to notice the fact that he already wants to fuck you."

 _No he doesn't. He wants to fuck the challenge. Not the girl._

But Brandon's confusion was definitely a good thing to use to her advantage. If she created an ally in Brandon, it would certainly help speed the process up quite a bit since he'd be willing to join in her scheme to aggravate Lucas' possessive nature.

"Why? Because he thinks he already has me. And I think that ego of his needs to be knocked down a peg. Or ten," Maya said, watching his expression carefully. "Wouldn't it be funny if the girl he thought he had wrapped around his pinkie finger 'hooked up' with some other random dude?"

Brandon didn't respond, though his scowl loosened, brows lifting a bit in surprise and intrigue. And she knew she had him. Whatever his beef was with Lucas, whatever issues they might have had with each other in the past, she could clearly see the gears turning in his head to use what she had said to his advantage. And she knew Brandon was on board with the Lucas sabotaging.

Before he could respond though, the hall closet door swung open again, basking them in light, this time revealing an irate Lucas. Maya jumped a bit when she saw him, a soft gasp leaving her mouth from the stormy look in his eyes. Upon first glance, he looked like he was _smiling_ , but when Maya looked more carefully, she found herself inhaling sharply. There was no warmth in his gaze whatsoever, just some kind of alarming glint as he stared Brandon down. Brandon himself had a smug smirk on his face, sporting a similar dark gleam that for a second Maya felt like they were both about to try to beat the crap out of each other. There was something threatening in both their gazes that honestly kind of excited Maya.

"Can I help you?" Maya asked, giving Lucas a patronizing look.

His gaze turned to her slowly, and Maya nearly clammed up at the subdued rage hidden in the depths of his glare. She knew it definitely wasn't directed towards her—for some reason, she didn't feel threatened—but for a moment, she was reminded of the crazy Lucas she'd heard about in his youth. She saw delinquent Lucas who got suspended for fighting in school and she knew it was a real thing, no matter how farfetched it had seemed before.

Lucas Friar could potentially be dangerous.

And for some damn reason, it made her skin prickle with adrenaline.

Lucas didn't say a word, grabbing her wrist before she could do anything and pulling her out of the closet. Maya yelped, having no choice but to be tugged briskly along. What the hell was his deal?

"Hey!" Maya tried to lean back on her heels, but Lucas kept plowing on through, ignoring her completely. "You can't just manhandle me!"

He yanked her around the corner and up against the wall. She snatched her wrist out of his hand, glowering up at him. Being tugged around had made her feel a little woozy, unstable on her feet, her stomach churning as she tried to stop the spinning.

"What the fuck is wrong with you?" Lucas growled. "You're _drunk_."

"I'm fine!" Maya snapped, a little taken aback by his comment.

She had been expecting some kind of jealous reaction of the sort, but something about the glint in his glare didn't imply jealousy exactly. Or if it did, it was mixed in with some very real irritation and apprehension.

"You're clearly not. First, you tried to hook up with me and now with Brandon." Lucas looked absolutely fed up, running a hand through his hair. "I was right. You're fucking crazy."

Maya was stunned speechless. Was he trying to look out for her?

"So maybe I'm a little tipsy," she countered, pushing off the wall and trying to get him to move out of her way. He didn't budge, his eyes narrowing as he set both his hands on the wall on either side of her to box her in, and Maya cursed in her mind when her gaze lingered on his mouth. "That doesn't mean my judgement is impaired."

Then again, she _was_ thinking about kissing Lucas again. Maybe that was a clear enough sign of impaired thoughts.

 _Oh God… I'm fucking wasted, aren't I?_

"Do you need a damn handler or something?" Lucas snapped. "Look. I told you he's not a guy you should be fucking around with."

"Why? Because _you_ said so?" Maya poked him sharply in the ribs. "If this is some macho bullshit 'I own you' thought process—because you _don't_ —I'm swear I'm going to—"

" _Party's busted_!" Someone suddenly shouted from the main room. "Cut the music!"

The music suddenly stopped playing. Argument abruptly ended, Lucas and Maya glanced at each other in slight surprise before heading back to the main room where most people had congregated now at the loud declaration. There was a guy standing on the table, hands cupped around his mouth and shouting as loudly as he could.

"Someone called the fuzz. They're down the street! Clear the fuck out if you don't want to get arrested! Every man for himself!"

People sprang to life, scrambling around and rushing to leave as the sound of sirens grew continuously louder with each passing second. Some people grabbed leftover beers, some running upstairs as everyone tried to escape the darkened house to prevent getting caught.

Maya snorted, laughing when she saw two people almost collide into each other. "I totally predicted this was going to happen to this party."

"It's not too hard to predict. This happens to pretty much every party around here," Lucas said, leaning against the wall and pulling out his phone to text someone.

"This is the first time I've ever been to a party that got busted by the cops. This never happened in New York. Also, did you not hear him?" she asked incredulously. How the hell could he be so lax about this? If they got caught, they'd get in trouble with the law, and Maya really wasn't a fan of messing up her chances for college because of some misdemeanour. "Cops are on their way. How are you so chill about this? We get caught, we're both fucked."

She didn't know about Layla, but Maya knew her mom would quite literally kick her ass over something like this.

"I heard him." He glanced at her. "Where's your ride?"

She shrugged, watching people nearly shove each other out of the way to get out before the cops arrived.

"I don't know. Missy and I got separated. I have no idea how to get home."

Of course, she could text Missy, but finding her in this mess would be incredibly difficult, especially since she didn't have the time. Maya could hail a cab too, but she wasn't altogether confident in whether she knew her new address or not. The last thing she wanted was to end up spending a ton of money dragging a taxi cab around the city until she figured out where Lucas' house was.

"Follow me."

It wasn't ideal, but it was definitely better than staying there and waiting for the cops to arrive. She trailed after Lucas as they pushed their way through the throng of panicking teens. They escaped out of the back, just as Maya could hear the sirens of the police officers in front of the house and as they hurried around the edge of the pool, she could see the blue and red lights flashing off of the bricks on the side. Some people fell into the pool with a shout, and they swam under the inflatables to get ready to hide underneath them if the backyard was searched. Maya started laughing, thinking the bunch of teens' mad dashes to get away from possible trouble was hilarious.

It was exhilarating, this dangerous race to escape the authorities. Maya had been to her fair share of parties, but she'd never had to run from one before. She kind of thought it was fun.

There was a chain link fence separating Britt's back yard from her neighbour's. Following the lead of Lucas and some of the others, Maya grabbed the rungs, climbing up as carefully as she could and trying not to slip when her vision swam again. It was hard to get her feet through the holes when her skirt rode up every time she moved her legs. Maya didn't make it a habit of climbing up fences so she definitely had no idea how to do so in a damn skirt while the world swayed. She barely made it to the top without almost slipping and falling on her ass a few times. She wasn't coordinated enough for this.

But Maya was absolutely winded at the top, groaning as a bout of vertigo left her temporarily immobile as she tried to calm down her racing mind. Her stomach rolled, and she sat at the top of the chain link fence, watching as other people hopped off and continued to make their getaways. Lucas turned around with a raised brow when she didn't follow suit.

"Don't tell me you're stuck." Lucas snorted, staring up at her in amusement. Or rather, staring up at her legs. "Though honestly, I wouldn't be surprised knowing you."

 _Can he see up my skirt?_

"Yeah. He can," Lucas responded, and Maya realized that she had said that out loud.

"My skirt is riding up," she uttered, fidgeting and trying to pull her skirt from her seated position. She almost pitched backwards and gasped, gripping the rungs with all her might to steady herself. "You try climbing a fence when the sky is swirling, and you feel like everything in your stomach is about to come back up."

She felt like she was about to tip over and fall, and it was a hella long way down for someone as small as her. If she fell, she was certain every bone in her body was going to break.

Lucas headed over to her, standing just underneath her and holding his arms up. "Jump down."

"Hell no."

"Jump down, or I'll grab your leg and pull you down," he said darkly.

"I'll kick you in the face if you even try that!" Maya shouted nervously. She didn't doubt that he would definitely yank her down if he got a hold of her leg. "Don't think I won't!"

"Do you have to be difficult about every single thing? I'll catch you. Just fucking jump." He looked through the fence at the backyard they'd just deserted. "We have to get out of here before they start searching the back."

Maya sighed, pushing aside the vertigo and slight fear of breaking some bone from the fall. She shut her eyes tight and jumped off the edge of the fence, holding back her scream. Maya wasn't scared of high places, but coming down from them gave her the heebie-jeebies. But true to his word, Lucas caught her around the waist, holding her snug against him before he set her down gently.

Maya felt loopy, kind of goofy over the whole thing, and she started laughing really hard, leaning heavily on Lucas when she felt queasy. She didn't even know what was funny, but she couldn't stop laughing. Lucas shushed her, tugging her along beside him as they trudged their way through the back of the houses in this neighbourhood, trying to get as far away from the police officers as possible.

"Can you walk?" Lucas held her up, sighing in exasperation as he tried to get her to stop grappling onto him and walk forward.

"Yeah…" Maya tapered off, nearly tripping on some twigs in a backyard when her stomach reeled. Her nausea was catching up to her and fast. "Shit. Stop moving."

"What now?"

Maya pushed away from him, turning around and running over to a bush just as the bile rushed up her throat and exploded out of her mouth. She heard Lucas groan in disgust behind her, sounding absolutely fed up with the circumstances.

"How the hell did I get stuck babysitting your drunk ass?"

"Because you want to fuck me and that won't happen if I'm jail." Maya wiped her mouth of the vomit with the back of her hand and straightened up, biting her lower lip to keep from snickering as she turned around and saw his repulsed expression. It was kind of hilarious, but now that she did feel a little better, they had to get a move on. "Where's your car?"

"I didn't drive here." Lucas answered a text he had gotten. "Billy did."

Maya frowned. "So what? We have to walk home? I object to that notion."

"Chill." Lucas headed toward the side of the house they were behind, looking out at the street where a gray car was parked on the sidewalk. They were a couple houses away from the cop cars now and a safe enough distance away to head over. "I texted Gina a while ago. That's her."

Maya had never felt so much relief in her life. If she had to make do being dragged along with Lucas everywhere to get back to his place, she could rough it, but having a ride back was a dream come true. Especially since she was definitely didn't have such great control of her limbs right now.

"You're lucky I don't have an exam tomorrow. You are in a shitload of trouble, mister," Gina teased playfully as they climbed into her car. She drove off once they were situated, snickering over their plight. "What are you doing drinking at a party when you're underage? And hey Maya! Good to see you."

"Hey…" Maya muttered, her stomach lurching a bit when Gina made an abrupt stop at a sign and continued on just as roughly.

"Thanks for picking us up," Lucas said. "And you're one to talk. You drank all the time and you were underage up until last week."

"As a legal adult _now_ , it's my job to keep you underage folks out of trouble," she said haughtily. "Besides, moonshine isn't alcohol here. It's a way of life."

Lucas snorted, cranking down a window and turning on the radio.

"You ever tried moonshine before, Maya?" Gina asked, looking at the rearview mirror. "Best liquor ever. It's hardcore shit though."

"I'd rather not think about any booze right now…" Maya groaned, relishing in the breeze from Lucas' window. Rushing to the car in the sticky night air had made her feel gross. "Urgh… I don't think I ever want to drink again."

Gina gave Lucas a dirty look. "Mind telling me why you let your girlfriend get that drunk, Lucas?"

"She's not my girlfriend. And I don't know why she decided to drink so much when she clearly can't hold her liquor."

"I can so hold my liquor, Ranger Rick!" Just not the amount of shots she'd taken. "I could drink you under a table!"

"I highly doubt that with the way you just hurled in those bushes," he droned.

"Ranger Rick?" Gina laughed. "Is that your pet name for him? That's so cute! You guys are adorable!"

"It's not a pet name!" Maya said indignantly, her cheeks burning red in spite of herself.

"Here. Drink up. It'll help for your hangover blues tomorrow. And for the whole vomit thing." Gina picked up her water bottle, tossing it to Maya in the back. "I prescribe two aspirin tomorrow morning, alright?"

"Okay…" Maya groaned, feeling disgusting all of a sudden. Getting herself sick from drinking too much was not ideal in the least. She uncapped the water and chugged down a ton of it at once to help clear her throat. "Thanks GG."

"I also prescribe some nice makeup sex in the morning, since you two keep fighting." She chuckled. "Trust me. It does wonders for a relationship."

Lucas gave her an irritated look while Maya made fake gag motions and sounds of disgust. Gina laughed again, snickering at both their reactions to her—very not funny—joke.

~.~.~

"You get her straight to her bed to sleep it off, got it?" Gina said sternly, leaning out of the driver's window. "No hanky panky tonight."

If Maya thought she was a little messed up before, now she felt downright woozy. She was so tired and she could barely stand up straight, and as much as she hated it, she was definitely relying on Lucas to keep from faceplanting.

"For the last damn time, we're not together, GG." Lucas growled, tilting his head away when Maya nearly clawed his face, trying to keep herself upright.

"Keep telling yourself that, _Ranger Rick_."

He sighed. "Never mind that. Has he talked to you since last week?"

Maya could sense the nature of the conversation had turned serious and somber. Who was the he Lucas was talking about?

"Still ignoring my phone calls. At this point, I feel like I should just give up…" Gina sighed, running a hand through her auburn locks.

"He'll come around," Lucas muttered darkly. "He has to."

"You're a good kid, Lucas. But you have too much faith in people." Gina smiled, shaking her head in amusement. "Stop worrying about me and take care of your girlfriend, okay? Goodnight Maya!"

Gina waved at them both as she drove off, leaving them standing there, Maya more curious than ever about who exactly Gina was to Lucas. He obviously cared for her a lot, and they were close enough that the girl made fun of him, but she treated him kind of like a little kid. Maya wondered if Lucas liked Gina. Was the he he kept mentioning a boyfriend of Gina's?

Lucas brought Maya out of her thoughts when he tried to pry her grappling hands off of his shirt.

"Can you stand up straight at all?"

She whined in annoyance, closing her eyes and leaning her head against his chest. She didn't want to move. She was comfortable where she was. He smelled really good, and shutting her eyes for a second reminded her of comforting nights she'd spent tucked in Josh's arms.

It was kind of nice. It reminded her of the first time they'd ever had sex, when they'd come back from one of his friend's parties and spent some time lazily kissing on his couch. Maya comfortably laying against him. His hand weaving through her hair. She could remember it like it was yesterday…

"…Can you carry me?" Maya mumbled, clutching his shirt tighter.

"What?" Lucas snorted incredulously. "Never expected to see the day Maya Hart asks for my help."

Maya blinked and pulled away from him in surprise, staring up at his amused face. She'd been daydreaming.

"I don't need your help." She let go of him abruptly, heading into the house and going through the foyer. "I was delirious."

"Right…"

It was official. Maya _knew_ she had lost her mind. Lucas was laughing, a hand on the railing behind her as she nearly stumbled up the stairs. He steadied her by her waist, holding her upright when she tripped, and Maya felt flustered when his touch left a spark of fire. She swatted his hands off, trying to hurry the hell up before she embarrassed herself even more than she already had.

"Why are you following me?"

Though she was definitely glad he was, because the stairs were _moving_ and she was pretty sure if he wasn't behind her, she would have tumbled back down them and broken her neck or something. But she was so embarrassed. She'd managed to get him hard, but then vomited in front of him and now was stumbling and tripping like an idiot because she'd thought it was a good idea to get wasted at a party.

"Because you're a disaster. If you fall down the stairs and break your neck, my mom will hold me accountable."

"And here I thought you had finally grown a heart," she spat.

"Sorry to disappoint you, ma'am," Lucas said condescendingly, tipping a fake cowboy hat.

Maya pushed into her room, dragging her feet through the carpet as a mighty yawn left her mouth. Her pillow looked like heaven, and she was so ready to crash and go to sleep. She tossed off her clothes carelessly, dropping them on the floor with the other pile, and not caring that she had stripped to her underwear in front of him. At this point, she might as well get used to it now.

"What is it with you and the Looney Tunes stuff?"

 _Note to self: Get sexier underwear._

"It's my favourite cartoon. Sue me. I used to watch it with my da—" She stopped before she said what wasn't true anymore. "My uh… mentor on Saturday mornings."

Lucas didn't say anything for a while, texting on his phone as she tried to get into her pajamas and nearly fell on her ass trying to tug her legs through the holes of her shorts.

"I think it's your bedtime. Before you injure yourself," Lucas said dryly after the tenth time she almost tripped on some clothes on the ground and landed halfway on her bed, her face smothered in the comforter. "We all know how you're accident prone.

Maya dragged her clumsy limbs slowly up onto the bed. She crawled under the covers, nearly moaning with how amazing and warm and comfy and squishy the bed felt.

"I'm not. Dammit, I get stuck twice—"

"Three times now. Not to mention all your near falls." He pointed out.

"—and you never let it go." Maya growled. He wasn't the only one who could annoy someone. "You know what I think? You're irritated right now because you wanted to hook up with me. That's why you don't want me with Brandon. And that's why you got so pissed off tonight."

His expression darkened considerably at the mention of his name. Maya got a rush like nothing else knowing that she'd managed to frustrate him over the Brandon issue. What was it about Mr. Broody that made Lucas tick so badly? She was suddenly spurred on by a desire to figure out the secret behind his ire.

"Believe me, Maya," he said in a low tone of voice, "if I wanted to hook up with you, we'd have already fucked by now."

Not quite the response she'd wanted, but he'd still reacted from a mention of Brandon.

"Too bad I'm not interested in fucking you at all," Maya continued, taking her chances with pushing her luck to see if she could get him to tell her why Brandon seemed to be his nemesis. "Besides, I'd still choose Brandon over you."

"You're stubborn as fuck. Still going after him despite my warnings?"

"Well considering I don't trust you, why would I listen to what you say?"

"Because you're going to get hurt."

"By a meaningless fling?" Maya shook her head. "That's nothing compared to the pain from Josh…"

 _Crap_.

Damn her fucking lack of a filter. She hadn't meant to bring _him_ up at all, but the damage had already been done. Lucas gave her a look, a mix between pity and empathy and some kind of intrigue.

"…So then you admit you're really doing this because you want to forget about your ex?"

 _Not exactly._

But there was no way she would tell him about the bet. Still, she could work with this angle. He still seemed against it, and the whole 'Rebound With Mr. Broody' idea could potentially irk Lucas more than just the idea that she wanted a meaningless fling. At least now it seemed like she had deliberately chosen Brandon instead of gotten any random guy.

"He was my first love and my first real crush and my first everything. What do you think?"

Lucas sighed, leaning against the doorframe. He looked a little pissed off but again, his vexation didn't seem aimed at her. "A little advice. This is going to make you feel worse in the long run. You can't cover up your feelings by sleeping with random people."

"So what's your excuse, Mr. I Have An Overactive Sex Drive?" she snorted.

"What?"

"Why do you sleep with all these girls?"

He didn't immediately respond, contemplating her silently and for a moment, Maya thought she'd gotten the upperhand. But then he smirked in amusement, and she knew the tide of the conversation had changed once again.

"Do I need an excuse to enjoy having sex?"

"I think it's because you're trying to mask an emptiness you feel in your life, and you're acting out in promiscuous ways." Maya shot back. "Admit it. You're lonely."

"Nice try, but that's not it." He started laughing. "Either way, me sleeping with some random girls can't be worse than you trying to sleep with some guy after you got dumped by _voicemail_. That's pathetic."

Her fists clenched. "Asshole. It's not funny."

"Yeah, it kind of is."

"You are such a dick," she grumbled, turning onto her side and pulling the blanket up to her neck.

He shrugged. "Maybe. But even I'm not so much of a dick to not break up with someone face to face."

"You're still a dick for laughing at how I got dumped though!" Though the more he poked fun of her, the less she pitied herself and the more irate she grew over the fact that Josh had done that to her. What kind of fucking asshole thought it appropriate to dump someone by voicemail?

"I'm just surprised that you're sitting around moping about it. The bat shit crazy Shortstack I know seems like she'd fly back to New York to kick his ass."

In his own strange way, if kind of felt like he was trying to cheer her up, even though the mockery in his tone hadn't quite gone away. It was hard to tell with that smug expression on his lips like he found her wacky.

"I will. As soon as I get over him. With _Brandon_ ," she said again, just to goad Lucas' irritation.

"You're a nightmare." Lucas growled.

"Aww thank you. I take that as a compliment."

He turned to leave. "Just go to sleep already so I can be done with my good deed of the day."

"I'm not tired anymore thanks to you." She huffed. "Tell me a bedtime story."

Lucas snorted, giving her an amused look over his shoulder. "What are you, a kid?"

"I'm drunk and sleepy, but I can't sleep. You owe me. Now tell me a story." She patted the side of her bed. "Something about your life."

Lucas rolled his eyes but sat at the edge of her bed. "You're interested in knowing about my life? That's odd."

"I'm not, you pervy Huckleberry cowboy. I just want to hear a story so I can fall asleep." She was being pretty ridiculous, but she couldn't muster up her usual inhibitions to care enough.

"Okay, I'll humour you… What do you want to know?"

That was surprising. She'd thought he was going to wave off her inquiry. "Wait, you're actually going to tell me? It won't be some bullshit?"

"Why not?" He leaned back on his elbows, giving her a bored look. "I've got some time to kill before Sheila comes over."

"Sheila? Who the hell is that?"

Lucas rose a suggestive brow, and Maya got the hint, her nose wrinkling in disgust.

"Nevermind, I don't want to know. Uh…" Maya racked her brain for something to ask, but the only damn thing she could think of were his hookups. What the fuck was wrong with her? "Do you even remember when you lost your virginity. Or to whom?"

Lucas' brows furrowed. "…What a weird question."

"You've obviously been at this whole pervy sex maniac thing for a while. So when was the origin?"

She knew she sounded crazy, but at that point, there was nothing she could do but to just go with it. Either way, she'd been embarrassing herself all night. Time to just embrace it.

"It was towards the end of freshman year at some party. I lost my virginity that day, but it wasn't the first time I did something sexual." He stared at the ceiling fan, looking like he was reminiscing. "Her name was Kayla Rutgers. I think she was a junior."

"A junior was interested in you?" Maya rose a brow incredulously. "And you remember who she was regarding your track record?"

"I remember everyone I've hooked up with." He had a smug smirk on his face. "Kayla taught me how to properly fuck someone. Told me I was one of her best. A perfect ten."

"Yeah right." Maya scoffed. "You're so arrogant. There's no way you were perfect at sex your first time. _Everyone_ is awkward."

"Maybe I'm just a special case."

She rolled her eyes in disgust. "This story is pissing me off."

"That's because you weren't interested in knowing about my experience," Lucas said astutely. "You just wanted to know some embarrassing sex story."

"Do you have one?"

"Yeah. The first time I fingered someone, I accidentally pulled out her Nuvaring. I thought it was an old condom. It was horrifying."

Maya burst out laughing. "What the fuck?"

"Yeah, yeah. Laugh it up." He rolled his eyes. "Well?"

"Well what?"

"What was it like when you lost yours? It was fairly recently, wasn't it?"

"This isn't a reciprocal conversation," Maya countered. " _You're_ telling me the bedtime story, remember?"

"Plan's changed. Tell me what Josh did wrong when he took your virginity."

Maya blushed to her roots, trying to pull the covers over her head. She did _not_ want to talk about that night. "Hell no!"

Lucas sat up and grabbed the comforter before she could tug it up all the way, yanking them right off her face. Maya was starting to think she had bit off more than she could chew, especially when he had that devious and slightly dangerous look on his face.

"Tell me, or I'll start guessing again. And you know I'll get it right," he threatened.

"Fine. Just give me back my blanket." Lucas dropped it and she pulled it back to her neck. Sighing, she turned towards her window, trying to hide how red her face was. "Look, it's kind of embarrassing, okay? It wasn't like it was super painful, but I just couldn't get into it. He tried to ease my nerves, but I just didn't enjoy it at all. It was just awkward."

Maya hadn't been able to _really_ enjoy it any of the times if she honestly thought about it. People raved about how amazing sex was all the time, but Maya had yet to really believe it was as fun and gratifying an experience as people made it out to be. Maybe she just wasn't cut out for it.

She chanced a glance at Lucas when he didn't say anything for a while and was surprised to see him regarding her seriously. He didn't seem to find it amusing—actually, he looked kind of apologetic.

"Were you wet enough?"

"Yeah."

"Did he give you time to adjust?"

Maya nodded, feeling so weird that she was talking about this with _Lucas_ of all people. She refused to even talk about this with her mom. Yet here she was discussing her first time as if it was the weather. It was a strange situation, and Maya was tempted to believe that she was dreaming about it altogether. Alcohol did funny things to her brain. No doubt she was hallucinating or something.

"I know what the problem was. He was more focused on getting himself off," Lucas said.

"No, he tried to get me to come," Maya argued.

"Not what I mean," he clarified. "What I'm saying is that he wasn't trying to focus on what would pleasure _you_ best. He was focusing more on satisfying himself before you."

"What?" If Maya didn't get it before, she was absolutely confused now.

"Your ex was clueless about virgins. In this case, you." Lucas explained. "He should have found out what could pleasure you first by trying different things. He should have gotten you comfortable with sex and being touched between your legs by someone other than yourself before he finished himself off. It takes more time and energy, but any decent guy will gladly do that for you. Your ex wasn't decent, if you still didn't enjoy it after three tries."

It made a lot of sense. And Josh hadn't particularly ventured outside his norm.

"But there are people who can fix that, you know?" Lucas murmured, his voice pitched low. "People who'll know what ways to get you to come."

The obscene look he gave Maya made his innuendo perfectly clear. And she definitely felt heat between her legs when she shifted and made eye contact with him. All this talk about sex was starting to make Maya horny. Lucas was watching her reactions carefully, something heated in his intense gaze that made her lick her lips anxiously. Suddenly, she was reminded of the way his lips had felt against hers.

She shifted under the covers, subtly rubbing her thighs together. "Can you…"

 _Show me?_

Maya immediately bit her tongue to stop talking, horrified beyond belief by what had been about to escape her mouth. She'd been about to ask _Lucas_ —her absolute nemesis and the guy that she currently was on a mission to seduce—to pleasure her. There was no way the alcohol wasn't fucking with her head.

"Can I what…?" he prodded, a knowing look on his face as if he was aware of exactly what she had been about to say.

"…Can you leave? I'm tired." She averted her gaze, trying to muster up disgust in her voice.

Lucas chuckled, standing up and looking particularly amused by her near idiotic mistake. "Understood."

He began to make his way out, but paused at the door, his eyes dancing in the light. "For the record, I would be happy to show you, Maya, since you clearly want it. But you're not sober, so maybe another day."

"In your dreams, Lucas," she sneered.

"In _your_ dreams, Maya." He looked quite pleased with himself as he cut off the lights. "In fact, I predict you are going to dream about me tonight."

"Oh yeah," she drawled sarcastically. "I definitely don't doubt that I'll have a _nightmare_ featuring you. Get lost so I can sleep. And close the door on your way out."

"Sweet dreams…" he murmured patronizingly before snapping the door shut.

Maya curled up on a ball on her side, vowing to stay away from copious amounts of alcohol from now on. The entire evening was one big clusterfuck. But at least the chess pieces were all in place now. Her ploy to use Brandon as a decoy had worked. Operation BONER had been a total success. If she could get Lucas (who probably had pretty damn good control over Bucky McBoingBoing by now) semi-hard just from kissing him, then she knew he had some sexual attraction to her, though her victory didn't leave her feeling entirely triumphant. Because her victory meant that there was nowhere left to go but forward. It meant that it was now time to move on to her next steps.

And that meant now came the hard part.

Maya The Tease.


	21. Katy Hart? You're A Cool Ass Mom

**A/N: Lol should I start a new story? I've had this idea for a crime fic that's been plaguing me for months since WWW ended. I want to write something gritty and dark again.**

 **Hi Magnus Bane! I really would have preferred that they ask me first to use my smut before they included it in their story, but at least they did credit the chapters to me. It can't be helped since it's already up, but can you ask them if they can contact me first if they want to use my work? Thanks for letting me know, love :3**

 **This chapter didn't come out as cleanly as I wanted it to, but I tried. There's foreshadowing in quite a few places in this chapter. See if you can guess them all :D  
**

 **Thank you for the sweet reviews. I appreciate them a lot and I thank you for being so kind even though this story is so frackin' weird lol! You all honestly mean the world to me and you always bring smiles to my face! As always, I can't even begin to give you guys enough love for how you've treated me. You guys are the best! :)**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own GMW or the characters, but shit... if I did... You guys better run... ヽ(￣д￣;)ノ=3=3=3**

* * *

 **To:** "Honey"

 **From:** "Peaches"

 **Subject:** Re: how's texas peaches? (not how are the peaches in tx, but how is texas, peaches)

hey riles…

i wish i could be more lively with my response, but holy shit, i feel so hungover right now. thankfully, i don't have a headache or anything (i never was prone to getting them, unlike you haha), but i feel queasy and lethargic and my body won't move the way i need it to. i think that's the end of me drinking alcohol for the rest of the week. wish i brought the secret hangover formulae from farkle because right now, i feel like someone punched me in the stomach and now is sitting on it. i thought i could hold my liquor, but apparently not in texas.

ummm, how was the party?

well…

i got wasted off some shots. made out with lucas. pretended to make out with brandon. cops busted the party. i got stuck on a fence and then threw up in front of lucas. oh yeah, and then we talked about sex until it was time for me to sleep.

what the fuck was yesterday…

and before you ask, yeah, he was a pretty good kisser. there wasn't any tongue in it, but i was truly and honestly pleasantly surprised. i kind of do want to kiss him again if i'm being honest. or at least, i want to see how amazing kissing him is when he's serious. (stop it, don't do that eyebrow waggle thing because i know you will as soon as you read this. liking a kiss doesn't mean i like _him_ ). but that probably doesn't matter because i'm pretty sure i wrecked all my sexual appeal in the span of a minute with the vomiting alone. but then again… i think he made it pretty clear that he could have been up for hooking up had i not been hammered off my ass.

i was acting a fool the night before, riley. really badly now that i think about it. i don't even know if i can bounce back from being so messy (lucas the asshole will bring up _everything_ all the fucking time), but at least operation B.O.N.E.R was a success. i got him hard. and now i have to be an aggressive tease so he can think about wanting to have sex with me all the time.

(maybe not today though. i feel like i'm about to vomit. urgh hangovers).

but enough about that! topanga said you could come to austin this weekend and you can stay until monday?! this is going to be so fucking awesome. i can't wait for you to come down; it's been too long since we've had the chance to hang out for real. wait until you see this house. it's _enormous_ and gorgeous. and the pool is fantastic!

in answer to your question, i guess yeah. this place has kind of grown on me more. it's still weird being in a new state and city, but some of the people here are very cool, and i basically live in a palace where everything is in perfect shape and there's never a lack of entertainment. i guess it's not that bad, minus the whole bet thing.

mom is doing well too. or at least, as well as someone who's gone through two pretty rough divorces in her life. the bakery is growing and becoming a popular spot, so she's had enough of a distraction to keep away from her thoughts. she's healing. she'll be better with time. but i'll definitely tell her you guys said hi. and it's good to know that we are missed. i would have thought after all that happened that nobody would want anything to do with us anymore.

bring lots of fuckboy repellent when you come down. there are fuckboys aplenty here. can't wait to see you!

love you always my honey,

peaches

 _(sent 11:18 am 10/18)_

* * *

Maya shut her laptop and tossed it on the pillow next to her, her mind sluggish and slow and having difficulty coming to terms with what she should do next in her day. She rubbed her face with her hands slowly, trying to not only cool her racing heart but also settle down her ailing stomach.

Lucas had been right.

Maya _had_ dreamt about him. And it had been more terrifying (and slightly intriguing) than she wanted to admit.

It was a dream of the night she'd lost her virginity. Like her memories, she started her dream in Josh's room, slowly being unclothed. Only when she looked up at the guy who was necking her, it was _Lucas_ on top of her, his trademark smug smirk on his face. Part of the dream was muddled in her mind, but it always ended the same. He would slowly peel her panties down her legs, lift her legs onto his shoulders, and then he would glance up at her, his sea-foam gaze dancing in the dim lighting.

And he'd say:

 _"Did you really think you could win this bet, Maya?"_

Maya shot awake right away, and from then on, it'd been an uncomfortable, restless night of sleep, snapping awake several times only to fall asleep and dream about the same thing _again_. She'd wake up in a fit, her heart pounding wildly in her chest, and then go back to sleep after calming down. Rinse, lather, repeat. The recurring process had left her fatigued, her body tired, and her mind disoriented. At least the fine details were also helplessly jumbled in her memories.

"What a nightmare…"

She caught sight of herself in her dresser mirror and groaned at her appearance. She looked like _roadkill_ with the slight bags under her eyes and the trail of dried saliva on her cheek and her fucking hair… If this was what she looked like that morning, how badly had she looked last night, post-vomit, exhausted and drunk out of her mind? She couldn't bear to think about it.

Maya picked up her phone from the floor where she'd dropped her skirt and noticed she'd accidentally had it on silent. She had several missed calls from Missy, a text from Zay asking whose bed she slept in last night—to which she responded with a picture of her middle finger—and a couple texts since the evening before from her mother asking how the party was.

Maya dialed Missy's number as she stripped her pajamas off and gathered her items to shower.

 _"So what was it like kissing Lucas? Don't ask me how I know; people at school won't shut up about it. Plus, there was your stint with Brandon which Camille is spreading around like wildfire. I'm kind of shocked. I knew your plan and I still didn't expect it to work so well. We have a lot of shit to talk about,"_ Missy said as soon as she picked up, talking all in one breath. _"Also, I hope you have the worst hangover ever. I called you thirty times last night, but you never answered your stupid phone so I couldn't figure out where the hell you'd gone or how to bring you home. But my source texted me and told me that you left with Lucas so I'm glad you got home safely. But again. I hope you have a terrible headache and the shitty nausea to accompany it, you treacherous nincompoop."_

"Well good morning to you too…" Maya snorted. "Your source? What? Are you keeping tabs on me with a spy?"

 _"I keep tabs on everybody at school with a spy. How the hell do you think I get all my information? Stop deflecting. You made out with Lucas. And for some reason, Zay keeps saying you two probably fucked last night. Deets."_

"Well for one, we didn't screw each other." Though it seemed like if she'd been sober, it might possibly have happened. "And it was average."

 _"If average is your definition of amazing, then okay. Average,"_ she said dryly.

"He wasn't that good." Maya lied, leaving her bedroom and dragging her feet down the hall to the bathroom to take a shower.

Lucas' door was closed, and Maya wondered if she was the only one in the house. How the heck was she supposed to get to school then? Not that at this point it mattered. She was already hours late. She didn't know if it was even worth it, especially since she felt so sluggish.

 _"You're lying, bitch! I can hear how shaken you were from your tone!"_

She sighed, turning on the shower and running her fingers under the water to wait for it to heat. "And they say I'm the crazy one…"

 _"Tell me the truth or I'll find it out some way or another,"_ Missy threatened. _"You really want to go up against the most devious mind in our generation?"_

"Fine." Maya didn't have it in her to even pretend anymore. "He was a really good kisser. And I kind of want an encore."

 _"As expected from our school's biggest fuckboy. Did you get turned on?"_

"Kind of? But I was drunk. Does it count?" Maya turned on the tap and lathered her toothbrush with toothpaste to brush her teeth.

 _"I'd say it counts even more with alcohol. It has a habit of un-inhibiting you from your deepest desires. I warned you, Maya. You're in deep shit. If that's how you reacted to kissing him now, how bad do you think it will be when he's doing other stuff like sucking your neck? Or you know… your cl—"_

"I won't let it get that bad." Maya interrupted through a mouthful of toothpaste, her nose wrinkling in slight disgust. "I just need to get used to him, that's all."

 _"Maybe you should start making out with other guys to get used to this? I mean, you're not exactly the most experienced girl."_

"I'll be fine." Maya assured her. "It was just the first kiss. I'm sure after a few more, I won't be affected anymore."

 _"Or you'll get addicted."_ Missy countered.

"Dammit, shut up."

Missy laughed. _"Hey, I'm just pointing out different routes and alternatives to your honky plan. Anyway, I gotta go. Calc is about to start. Will I be seeing you at school today?"_

"Probably not." Maya spit and rinsed her mouth. "Bye."

She slid her phone on the sink counter and then stumbled into the shower, moaning in satisfaction when the scalding water poured over her. It almost instantly cured the pressure in her head and she leaned against the wall for a moment, relishing in the therapeutic feel of the water.

"Hell yes…" she breathed out, her tense muscles relaxing.

After a few moments of lazily reclining against the wall, she grabbed her loofah and soap and got to work scrubbing away the sweat and grime and lingering alcohol stench on her skin. But even though the shower was definitely great for her morale, she was seriously craving something fattening and greasy. Like a giant burger dripping with extra sauce and oil and packed with the works plus a tub of fries smothered in mayonnaise. Maybe some fried pickles. Grabbing a slice of Brooklyn pizza with Farkle had always been one of her favourite routines in the past for hangovers. It was a shame she no longer had that luxury. She doubted she would find a good pizza place here that had the same comforting taste and feel of a Brooklyn slice.

Maybe she would call Farkle later that week. She knew he was busy with all his AP courses, plus his dad was riding his nuts hard to be accepted to every Ivy, but she hoped maybe he'd have a bit of time to chat one day. Riley had told Maya that Farkle was even harder to reach now that college applications were in progress. It was worth a try though. She missed her little nerd.

When she had finished clearing the conditioner from her hair and had finished washing every inch of her skin, Maya opened the door a crack and grabbed her towel to dry off. She wrapped it around herself and opened the door, waving her arms in front of her to clear some of the steam that cascaded out.

And was promptly met by the image of Lucas standing by the sink in post-shower steam, only a towel around him, riding low on his hips.

She froze, staring at the cut of his biceps and the smooth muscles of his frame. He was shaving his jaw, nearly finished cleaning up the soft scruff that had been on his chin. She watched with a slight morbid fascination, not understanding why it seemed like everything this dumb guy did was always attractive. She'd seen guys shave before, so she didn't understand why this simple repetitive motion was kind of hot when he did it.

Fuck, he was a sexy piece of ass.

Maya stared at him for a few seconds before walking back into the shower, shutting the door behind her and quickly running through the events of the morning in her mind to see if she had accidentally walked into the wrong bathroom or something.

"I didn't…" she muttered under her breath. What was wrong with her? "The fuck?"

 _Am I still drunk?_

Maya opened the door again, this time frowning as she tentatively took a step out.

"Yes, I'm the real thing," Lucas quipped in amusement, glancing at her through the mirror. "Enjoying the view?"

She sure as hell hadn't heard him even come in. How long had he been in there? "So what are you doing in my bathroom? You realize I was showering in here, right? And don't you have your own attached to your bedroom?"

"You had the door closed." He glanced at her, and Maya quickly pretended she was preoccupied with getting her things to dry her hair, so he couldn't tell she'd been ogling him out of the corner of her eye. "Besides, Sheila's using mine."

"Right… your one-night stand," Maya muttered as she pulled a brush from a drawer to detangle some of her strands. "Let me guess. Cheerleader, since that seems to be your type and all."

"Gymnast, actually," he said as he finished up and cleaned off his razor under the tap. "It showed."

She couldn't tell if he was saying that on purpose just to bug her or not, but whatever his reason it still grossed her out.

Maya ran the brush through her wet hair, wincing when it snagged on a slight clump. "You're nasty. And anyway, shouldn't you be in the shower _with_ her and not in my bathroom?"

"I don't do morning sex," Lucas stated, patting some aftershave on his face. "It gives them the wrong impression that I want more out of the transaction."

"Transaction? More like tryst."

"Besides," Lucas ignored her jab, shifting and leaning over her shoulder, speaking softly into her ear. "How could I pass up the chance to mess with you after your antics last night? It certainly was an… entertaining evening."

Maya swallowed discreetly, setting her brush down on the counter when heat crawled between her legs. She tried to pretend she hadn't been caught off guard, especially when she caught a whiff of his amazing scent. She could feel his body heat directly behind her and forced herself not to react from his proximity.

"So," he muttered lowly, resting his hands on the counter on either side of her, "did you dream about me, Maya?"

"Oh definitely," Maya murmured, turning around to face him and hooking her fingers loosely on the top of his towel. "We were in the shower. And it was all _hot_ and _slippery_ and I just kept moaning…" She pulled him closer to her, deliberately looking at his lips through her eyelashes. "My legs gave out so you picked me up and had me up against the wall. I thought I was about to pass out. And then I woke up panting, and I was so wet. I think I came in my sleep…"

When she brought her gaze up to his, Maya was sure her breath hitched in her chest. Lucas had fallen silent, but the dark look he was giving her was downright _indecent_ , a heated look in his eyes that sent a ripple of electricity rushing down her back. She had absolutely no doubts as to what image she'd just put in his mind.

 _Holy crap…_

He _definitely_ was DTF right then and there and she _clearly_ needed to get the hell out of this bathroom. She was so not ready to take this to any level when she was still suffering from the hangover blues. And especially not when Lucas was looking like sex on two legs and smelled like heaven and was barely clothed and giving her _that_ look that left no doubts what he wanted to do to her. He was a spider weaving a web and looking for his next prey, and she was right in the middle of it. She'd put herself in a precarious position she wasn't even ready to deal with just yet.

"Too bad it was a dream though, Sundance." She planted her hands on his abdomen and moved him slightly away from her. Maya tried to ignore the way the ridges of his abdomen felt under her hands. She'd leave it at that for now. She couldn't even muster up the strength to even try to be sexy when she felt so disgusting. "But… thank you for having my back last night. I got home safely because you were looking out for me. And I appreciate it."

Maya caught the slight surprised look that passed through his expression for a second before it grew neutral.

She may have been flirting with him, but she was definitely sincere in her thanks. She meant what she'd said. Honestly, he didn't have to make sure she got a ride home to make it back safely. She was sure she'd been aggravating him all night, but despite that, he'd helped her. Even though Maya knew she could take care of herself push came to shove, it was kind of sweet that he'd gone above and beyond to watch out for her.

"No problem," Lucas finally responded, watching her intensely like he couldn't quite figure her out.

"I had it under control though," Maya stated, removing her hands from his body.

He smirked. "When? When you lost your ride? Or let me guess: when you got stuck on the top of the fence? Or maybe it was when you were tripping all over your room and almost broke your neck putting on your pajamas?"

Maya rolled her eyes with an annoyed huff under her breath, swooping out from his arms. She snatched up her brush and cellphone and left the bathroom to get ready in her room. She knew it was too good to be true. He would never let her live the events of the party down. And she had a feeling he would keep bringing up this stupid crap.

When Maya pushed open her room door, Katy was standing in the middle of the floor, her hands on her hips and lips pursed in disdain.

" _Holy shit_!" Maya gasped, nearly jumping out of her skin at her sudden appearance. What the hell was it with everybody appearing stealthily out of nowhere?! "Mom, what the fuck?! You scared me!"

Katy cocked a brow. "You're supposed to be in school, baby girl. What are you still doing here?"

"…What are _you_ still doing here?" Maya asked suspiciously, deflecting the question.

"Hey, I'm doing the questioning here, young lady," she said sternly, though her lips were tugging up in a small smile. "Andie is watching the bakery. I came home because you hadn't responded to any texts I sent you in the morning, so I figured a) you were still asleep, b) you overslept because of a hangover and decided to skip school, or c) you were in class. Looks like I guessed right."

"I kind of partied too hard," Maya said sheepishly, continuing with detangling her hair. "I wasn't trying to skip school. It just kind of happened."

Katy sighed after contemplating Maya pensively for a few moments. "You know what? I don't condone this type of behaviour, but I'm glad you're okay and nothing happened to you last night. It's your first party here, and you had a lot of fun. After everything this past year, I don't blame you for partying a little hard."

"Sorry, Mom."

"C'mon. Hurry up and get dressed." Katy walked out of the room with a smile. "Let's go get lunch at a diner. Something oily with tons of grease. If your hangovers are anything like mine, you need something fattening to clear it up."

"Wait, I thought you were mad?"

"We all need to go crazy every once in a while. Consider this your free pass." She shrugged with a yawn. "But if you ever skip school again because of some party the night before, there'll be consequences."

Maya grinned. Her mom was so cool. "What about work?"

"My daughter just went to some crazy party at her new high school after not having friends for a week or two. There's no way I'm missing the details. Work can wait. Now get dressed. Mom's orders."

"You're a bad influence," Maya said.

She chuckled. "I know, baby girl."

~.~.~

"You know he marked you, right?" Katy said, idly sipping her water.

"What?" Maya stopped mid bite of an onion ring, glancing up at her mom from her oddly innocent tone, though she had a devious look on her face.

"Whoever gave you that hickey marked you as theirs." Katy gestured to Maya's neck and Maya slapped a hand to the area, feeling around and groaning when she felt the rough, bruised skin. "It's kind of like a dog peeing on a hydrant thing."

 _Fucking hell… Dammit Lucas._

She'd forgotten how sensitive her neck had always been. Now she'd have to hide it for a couple days. While Maya was okay with changing up her image and the perceptions of her image in school, she hated the ways hickeys looked on her skin—blemish-y, blotchy purple, and oddly shaped. She found them kind of gross.

"So I'm supposed to be a hydrant now? I'm not even going to address the pee part."

Katy chuckled. "I'm just saying. Back in my day, a hickey meant that person was trying to say that you're their gal and that they want you as a girlfriend."

Maya snorted. "There's no way. We're not close like that."

"Your mom knows these things, baby girl. I was a teenager once in my life too, you know?"

"Yeah, in the 1800s," Maya snarked under her breath, popping a fried pickle in her mouth.

"Rude." Katy glared at her, and Maya ducked down, avoiding the fry she tossed at her head.

It flew way over Maya's head, landing in the open mouth of one of the taxidermy animal heads on the wall. They both stared at each other for a second before snorting and cracking up.

A customer at the bakery had given Katy the location of the twenty-four hour diner a few days ago, urging her to try it out to see if it was worth it as a go-to spot, so they'd decided to try this place for lunch. It had a homey, cabin type feel to it with wooden booths, a fake fireplace, wooden walls decorated with old family mementos like pictures of kids holding large trout and lakes and football jerseys. It was nothing like the 50's feel of Nighthawk Diner, but Maya knew this place could definitely become one of her favourites. The best part was that they sold breakfast and lunch/dinner foods all day which would be great if Maya ever craved late night pancakes or wanted chili cheese fries for breakfast. She'd nearly devoured the burger she ordered, definitely feeling so satisfied once she had some food in her stomach.

After ordering, Maya had given her mom the details of the party. Of course, she'd left out the dirty details like the fact that she'd made out with _Lucas_ and then used Brandon to try to make him jealous. And the cops busting the party. And the vomiting thing. Maya kind of wanted to tell her mom about the bet, though. It would make things a whole lot easier, and Katy had infinite wisdom. She might be able to help. Maya didn't feel like the timing was right, though.

But she liked this. It wasn't often that she'd had the opportunity to spend a lot of time with her mom back when they were in New York. They'd both been working so often, but moving to Austin seemed to have brought them a lot closer. Maya supposed it was because it was just the two of them in this city around people they didn't really know and were still forming connections with.

Maybe this move really was a good thing for both of them.

"So who was it?" Katy asked once she sobered. "Who was your hickey donor?"

Maya shook her head. "Not telling."

"Aww you're no fun. C'mon, spill the details!"

"No way."

"Maya, I have nothing to entertain myself with and my life is lackluster. I must live vicariously through you since my senior year was spent breastfeeding my baby. Are you really going to withhold this juicy information from your mother?" she whined.

"Yupp. Not telling you," Maya repeated, polishing off her last piece of burger and nearly moaning in satisfaction when the bite had everything on it. "You'll start to think I want to be with this guy, and I don't."

Katy sat up straighter, leaning conspiratorially over the table. "So he's someone you _don't_ like."

"What?" Maya's brows furrowed. "How did you come to that conclusion?"

"Because you said earlier that you're not close. In other words, not in any kind of _relationship_ relationship. And now you're saying you don't want to be with this guy. Why would you not want to be with someone you like? Therefore, you don't like him. It's Lucas, isn't it? You made out with Lucas," she determined decidedly.

"Mom, there are hundreds of different guys at my school I could have made out with." Maya took a sip of her drink to occupy herself and fight off her blush. "Lucas isn't the only one who exists."

"True, but as far as I've seen and heard from you, Lucas was the only person you were mad at at your school, and honey, you haven't mentioned any other boys before. So by deductive reasoning, I'm guessing that it's Lucas. He gave you that hickey, didn't he?" Katy gasped, looking a little scandalized. "And you live in the same house! Have you guys been sleeping with each other?"

"No! I can't stand you, Mom."

"Because I'm right?"

Maya lobbed a glob of ketchup at her, and it landed right on her chest.

Katy looked down at her shirt and sighed. "Really, Maya? That's not fair. You can't just give me _one_ lopsided ketchup nipple."

Maya laughed and tossed another spoonful that landed in the middle of her chest.

"Wrong place, Maya."

She tried again and it hit its intended target.

"Great! Now I have three ketchup nipples." Katy held her shirt slightly away from her. "I hope this washes off easily, or you're buying me a new shirt."

Maya rose a brow. "You're not going to clean it off right now? Are you actually going to walk around like that?"

Katy shrugged with a grin. "It's my job to be an embarrassing mom, isn't it? Hey, maybe I'll start a new trend!"

"Ketchup nipples?" Maya snorted. "Something tells me it's not going to stick."

"Eh, worth a shot." She stood up and moved out of the booth, stretching her legs slightly from having to sit for so long. "I'm gonna go get the check so we can finish up here before I order something else. Last thing I need is to order another piece of pie."

As Katy made to head to the cashier in the front, some tall man walking in the opposite direction nearly barrelled right into her, holding a hot cup of coffee and clearly in a rush. Maya watched the collision like it was some slow motion scene in a cartoon. Katy stumbled back from the impact, her arms flailing to hold onto the booth or table to keep from falling. Her hand slapped the coffee, knocking it right out of his hands. And the hot coffee spilled all over the man's dress shirt.

There was silence in their area as the cup tumbled to the floor, clacking loudly on the wooden floorboards. They stared at each in shock.

"Shit! That's fucking hot! Look what you did, you idiot!" he barked, holding his shirt away from his body with a pained look on his face. "I had a job interview today!"

Katy was still recovering from her near fall, but once she straightened, her eyes narrowed angrily. "…What did you just call me?"

"I called you an _idiot_. A moron. An imbecile," he sneered. "Are those words too big for you to understand, Blondie?"

Maya glared at the man, feeling pinpricks of irritation. Oh hell no. He did not just speak to her mother that way.

"What's your problem?" she spat. "Chill out."

"It's okay, baby girl." Katy smiled, patting Maya's shoulder to dissuade her from reacting. "Don't worry about me."

And in the next second, she reared her fist back and slugged him right across the face. Maya winced from the sound of the impact, watching as the guy stumbled back and nearly landed on the table of the patrons behind him. The room grew dead silent after a few errant gasps, the man's shout of pain even more deafening as everyone stared at the confrontation.

"Goddamn! I think you broke my nose!" he said in a nasally voice, looking at the blood on his fingers.

"Serves you right, you asshole! Look, I'm sorry about the coffee on your shirt, but shit happens," Katy snarled. "You have a lot of nerve insulting me when you don't know a damn thing about me. Get the fuck out of my face before I really give you something to cry about."

Snatching up napkins from a nearby table, he walked through the diner, hurrying to the restrooms in the back to take care of his injury. Maya stared up at Katy in awe. It was easy to forget sometimes because she was goofy a lot of the time, but Katy was one of the fiercest and strongest women that Maya knew. It was absolutely inspiring.

"Mom, you're my hero."

"Sorry. I just…" Katy ran a hand through her hair, giving Maya an apologetic smile. "I've been through too much to put up with some dick being so damn rude for no reason. But punching someone…"

"Deserves a gold medal," Maya interjected. "You are officially a cool mom."

"What? I was always cool," she said, in faux offense. "In any case, don't ever follow my example, Maya. I shouldn't have let my anger get the best of me."

"Okay, but admit it. It was satisfying, and you know it."

"…Maybe a little," Katy said sheepishly, rolling her eyes good naturedly when Maya gave her an 'I told you so' look. She looked around, noticing some people had had their phones out, though most were now going back to minding their own business. "Oh gosh… I think some people filmed it. I think we should get the check so we can get the hell out of here."

"Good idea. I'm going to the bathroom really quickly," Maya said as she stood up from the booth.

"Meet me at the front."

Maya headed to the bathrooms in the back, hurrying to finish up. She didn't know how vindictive the butthole guy might be, but she didn't want him to come back before they left. Something told her he'd be the type ready to press charges. She used the restroom quickly and washed her hands before scurrying to leave. She felt so much better, definitely less nauseous and her morale was significantly improved thanks to her mom.

As Maya made her way back to the front, she caught sight of Lexi, standing near the cashier and looking bored out of her mind.

"Lexi?" Maya said, surprised to see her. She turned around, supplying Maya with only a slightly quirked, perfectly plucked eyebrow in greeting. "You're skipping school?"

"Seniors are allowed to go to lunch off campus. I'm picking something up for Camille. Apparently this diner has the best greasy food for hangovers. I think it's filthy and disgusting. Though that does definitely explain why you're here."

It was hard to tell whether she really meant the insult or not—her expression was too ambiguous for Maya to tell if she was sincerely trying to say something nasty or if it was just your run of the mill Lexi comment. But like every interaction she had with Lexi, however few, Maya didn't sense any _real_ malice in her comment.

"We're not at school." Maya gave her weird look. "You can tone down the bitchiness a little bit, you know?"

"Our lives are clichés, Maya. I'm _The Bitch_. I'm not allowed to turn it off unless if it's for some emotional personal moment or character growth."

"Bitch isn't a personality trait."

"If there's no heinous, bitchy tart in your life and a foil to your easy going high school experience, then you'll be bored," Lexi explained apathetically. "You need an antagonist?"

"So you're just assuming a role? Just for shits and giggles to fuck with my life?" Maya asked incredulously.

Seemed like it was a recurring theme at this school.

"And one day you'll thank me for it," she said staunchly. "After all, who was it that sparked up the bet with you? Think about it. Without this bet, where would you be?"

 _The fuck?_

"Enjoying my life in Austin without having to worry about seducing a womanizing asshole!"

"That's what you're saying right now. But if Missy is right in her predictions—and mind you, Missy is _always_ right—your tune is going to change for sure. You'll be grateful."

"Are there no bounds to your arrogance?"

"Nope," she said patronizingly. "Anyway, I'm right. You need difficult people in your life for things to be more fun."

"Lexi. To Go. Order up!" The woman behind the counter called out, setting a brown paper bag on the top of the counter.

"Hey. A word of advice before I go." Lexi turned to face Maya directly. "Volcanoes can lay dormant for years. Just because they're calm doesn't necessarily mean they're inactive. It's only a matter of time before they erupt again. And you should _always_ watch out for volcanoes."

"Okay… Thanks for the geology lesson," Maya said sarcastically. "What are you talking about?"

" _Volcanoes_. Urgh, it'll make sense to you eventually." She swung her hair over her shoulder and walked off to get her food without so much as a goodbye, her nose turned haughtily up in the air.

Was she trying to warn her to be careful? And come to think of it, the whole spiel with the antagonist business made Maya think that maybe Lexi was telling her that there was someone who was the real "antagonist" who she should watch out for. It was so confusing. Was Lexi always this weird?

Maya left the diner, shaking her head at the odd conversation she'd just had. She didn't have time for this cryptic nonsense. Between trying to seduce Lucas and the eccentric (read: strange) friends she made, she got no time for rest. Was school supposed to be this exhausting? She hadn't felt like this since high school started years ago and the work was harder and she had to put more effort in.

Katy was standing the front doors, smiling in that way she did when she was about to tease Maya. "Saw you talking to someone. Friend of yours from school?"

"I don't know… It's hard to tell if she hates me or she likes me. She's a pretty cold person."

"I'm willing to bet she probably considers you a friend."

"Hmmm..." Maya fell into step with Katy, slipping her hands into her jacket pockets as they walked to their car in the parking lot. "Doubt it."

"Well why wouldn't she? Believe it or not, you're a very charismatic and sensitive and beautiful girl when you're not trying to kick people's asses all the time."

"So when I am, are you saying I'm not beautiful?" Maya said playfully.

"Wait, that didn't come out right," Katy said. "I guess what I'm trying to say is that it's okay for you to take a breather every once in a while and let yourself be vulnerable a bit. I know we've had it rough, and I know you're used to being strong for us both, and I know you usually have a guard up to protect yourself, but I want you to take some time to take care of your emotions. Let them out. Be vulnerable and open. If you need a good cry, just do it. If people see the less guarded side of you, maybe it'll help them warm up to you too. They'll be able to relate more."

"Thanks Mom," Maya responded, although she wasn't sure if she'd ever be able to open up to anyone for real. It wasn't easy setting herself up to possibly get hurt. "You should also consider your own advice. You've been trying to be strong for me too. But it's okay for you to cry. It's okay for you to focus on yourself for once and splurge and go on vacations and stuff. Don't worry. I'll still see you as my tough skinned, screwball mom who has no qualms punching people in the face."

"Oh stop. That was a onetime thing!"

"As of now." Maya chuckled.

"You know Maya, being a little open or vulnerable also has the added benefit of allowing you to see who can truly be there for you and support you when you're down for the count," Katy continued. "Like… Lucas for example. I think he's a very nice boy, especially since he went through all the trouble of helping you home after the party. And I think you like him more than you want to admit!"

"You're not a cool mom anymore."

Maya walked faster to the car, leaving Katy and ignoring her laughter. It was for this reason exactly that she was holding off on telling her about the bet or her plans to seduce Lucas. While she didn't doubt Katy would find the bet hilarious, Maya couldn't deal with her teasing and the insinuations that maybe she had some sort of feelings for Lucas. She already had to deal with Missy making comments about Maya getting caught up in Lucas' charm. The last thing she wanted to deal with was her mother saying the same things. Only Katy wouldn't relent.

"Maya, I'm kidding!" Katy laughed, catching up to her and wrapping an arm around her shoulders. "Give me back my Cool Mom award."

"Those things aren't freely handed out, you know? It's a prestigious award you have to earn."

"Well then I know just the thing!" Katy cheered. "Want to come to the bakery and help me frost some cupcakes? I'll let you lick all the bowls and spoons when we're done."

"…Is that a bribe to get the award back?" Maya eyed her suspiciously as she walked to the passenger door of the car.

"Is it working?"

"Actually, yeah." She smiled. "Let's go, Cool Mom."

Katy chuckled as they hopped into their car to head to the bakery. She ignited the engine, turning the air conditioning way up when it was stuffy and hot in the car. Maya leaned back in her chair, feeling oddly relaxed considering how utterly gross she felt in the morning. And she definitely knew who she had to thank for that.

"Mom?"

"Mmhmm?"

"Thanks for curing my hangover."

"Anytime, baby girl."


	22. Step Four: Maya The Tease

**A/N: Eh I struggled with this chapter. [To be revised and/or rewritten]. (Kind of filler-ish?)  
**

 **Anyway, just a reminder that the rating of this story will be M** **. (I would say it's nearing High T right now? But it's about to get nastier).  
**

 **To the Guest who had surgery: how are you doing right now, love? You okay?**

 **I appreciate your sweet reviews! Thank you for the kindhearted comments and amazing things you all say. It means a lot to me and I'm lucky to have such lovely people reading my works! Thank you for being so wonderful! :)**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own GMW or the characters, but shit... if I did... You guys better run... ヽ(￣д￣;)ノ=3=3=3**

* * *

Maya added some jade green shadows to the leaves of the tree she'd been painting, trying to add some depth to it. She'd drawn so many trees by this point that it was near second nature, but her sluggish muse wasn't working today, and she couldn't think of anything else to paint. Maya wished she could have at least had an idea of what to paint for her MOMA submission by now, but nothing was coming to mind. She'd been here for hours perfecting this tree, but no spark of inspiration had hit her yet, despite her hopes. Usually a new environment bred more ideas, but for some reason, that wasn't the case yet. And it was starting to bug her immensely.

Thunder rumbled ominously in the distance, and Maya sighed, glancing up and staring at the thick, dark gray clouds collecting more readily in the sky. The day had been overcast from the get go and had started to look more and more rainy as she and Katy had driven back to the house, but Maya had been hoping it could hold off a bit. Or at least enough for her to get some painting done on the patio. So far, this was the highest place that she could find to paint since she currently couldn't find a way to get to the roof without falling… or possibly getting stuck. She could literally imagine the kick Lucas' dumb ass would get out of that.

"So are you ever planning on selling your work, or is this just for fun?"

Maya screamed at the sudden voice behind her and tossed up her brush in surprise. Her knee banged against the easel as she flailed on her stool, nearly knocking it and her canvas off balance, but Lucas reached over her and steadied it, eyeing her from the side in amusement. The brush landed innocuously on her lap, staining her paint-splattered button down with a new smear of green.

"Really?" She glared at him in annoyance once her heart had finally stopped racing. "Did you really have to sneak up on me?"

"I thought you knew I was standing there. I wasn't exactly quiet." He retracted his hand from the top, but didn't move, still observing the painting from over her shoulder. "This is pretty damn good."

"Most people would give alert of their presence." Maya picked up her paintbrush, dipping it in her dirty water jar to try to clear off some of the dirt that might have gotten on the brush from her shirt. "And uh, thanks."

His presence unnerved her a little bit, mostly because she wasn't quite sure what his motivations were for even bugging her in the first place, but he was silent as she started to fine tune the leaves again. It was kind of weird. She still expected him to make some kind of sarcastic comment, but there were none.

Maya turned around, looking up at him. "You're awfully quiet."

He glanced down at her briefly with a shrug before looking back at her painting. "It's impressive."

"Two compliments within the same hour?" Maya joked. "It must be my lucky day."

"How long have you been painting?" he asked, leaning against the wooden beam beside them.

"Seven years." She rose a brow, setting the brush down on the easel and feeling awkward with him just watching her paint. It made her anxious. A quiet Lucas was an unpredictable Lucas. "Also thanks a lot."

"What'd I do to bug you this time?" Lucas drawled. "Let me guess: breathe the same air as you?"

She tilted her head, pointing out the blemish on her neck. "You gave me a hickey, you Neanderthal."

"I noticed," he said, leaning down and looking at it. "Suits you. It's your colour."

"You're an ass." Maya rubbed at it uncomfortably, giving him a cross look. "I hate hickeys."

"You must really be sensitive. I don't think I was trying to put one on you last night." Lucas had a shit-eating grin on his face, looking arrogantly proud of himself. "Makes it even harder to believe that your ex couldn't get you off."

"Still gross. Now I have to walk around with it."

"If it makes you feel any better, it's not that noticeable if you use your hair to cover it." Lucas reached up and tugged out her scrunchie. Her hair tumbled down from its confines, haphazardly falling around her face and neck. "There. Magically disappeared."

It did make her feel a little bit better, but she was still a little concerned that she'd gotten an unintentional hickey from him in the first place. It reminded her of Missy's cryptic words of how bad she could react to him if he actually got serious. Damn her being so sensitive.

"What are you doing out here anyway?" Maya asked, absentmindedly rubbing the itchy spot on her neck. "I thought you'd be hooking up with someone right now. It's a free evening."

"Night is still young. Are you offering?" he joked, eyeing her suggestively.

"Not even if you were eight inches, moron," Maya retorted. "We need to talk about something, Huckleberry."

"If you're about to give me some 'last night didn't mean anything, I was drunk' speech, save it." Lucas snorted. "I know last night didn't mean anything. And I know you were out of your mind. Besides, I don't read much into random make outs."

"It's not about that." Maya felt her cheeks burn a bit with a blush at the reminder of her crazy antics the night before. "My best friend from New York is coming in to stay this weekend."

"Is she hot?"

Maya glared at him. "I need you to do me a favour. Can you please not try to hook up with her? She's not a one night stand kind of girl, but she is on the prowl, and I don't want her to get hurt just because some hot guy showed her attention."

"You do realize you just called me hot, right?"

"Can you take this seriously?" Maya said in exasperation. She didn't know why she had thought he could actually listen to her request. It seemed like she'd forgotten how much of an asshole he could be. "I don't want you doing anything that will lead her on. She had a string of bad attempts at relationships and you are not the type of person that she should be looking for. Relationships are not her strongest suit."

"They don't seem to be yours either." He gave her an astute look. "From what I know about your relationship, it sounds like that ex of yours might have used you because he knew you were obsessed with him."

"Lucas. We're not talking about me. Please," she said seriously. "I don't ever want her getting hurt like I did, okay?"

"What's in it for me?"

Was he for real?

"A temporary guarantee that I won't drive my knee into your crotch." She deadpanned.

"Tempting offer," Lucas said, an infuriating shit-eating grin on his lips. "I'm not sure I agree with the terms though. You asked for a favour. So what do I get in return?"

"Wow. So you can't help someone out of the kindness of your own heart?"

"Not if it's you. Any favour for you will probably end up being a disaster for anyone involved. I'd like to have some sort of security so that it isn't in vain when it inevitably all goes to shit."

It annoyed her so much.

 _What a dick._

She rolled her eyes. "Fine. What do you want?"

"How about…" Lucas murmured, the expression in his eyes shifting into something dark and heated as he stared at her, "you're my maid for a day of my choosing?"

Maya searched his eyes for a moment, looking for some semblance of the playful gleam that he usually wore when he made filthy comments. But it became clear that he wasn't joking around, especially because of the way he was looking at her.

"Are you insane?" She shook her head slowly in disgust, her eyes narrowing. "Wait, don't answer that. Of course you are because there's no way in hell I just heard that shit come out of your mouth. You're a pig. A maid? Really?"

"We all have our fantasies," he said, taking a strand of her hair and loosely twirling it in between his fingers. "If you don't like that, I did have something _different_ in mind."

Maya's breath hitched in her chest. "If you think I'm going to blow you, you've got another think coming."

"Wasn't what I meant," he countered easily. "Besides, I'm not sure you could handle it."

"Please. There's no dick I can't fit in my mouth," Maya responded automatically, her default reaction to anyone underestimating her sparking up. Her eyes widened when she realized what she'd just said. " _Shit_."

"Duly noted." Lucas chuckled, letting go of her hair and straightening up.

Maya's jaw clenched. "You're so annoying."

"I'll stay away from your friend. But only if you agree to being my maid on a day of my choosing. Twenty four hours. You're at my beck and call. Deal?"

What the fuck was his game? She had to think about this carefully. Was it really a good idea to get involved in this kind of deal with a guy like _Lucas_? And as his maid no less? And on top of that, she was completely baffled as to why he wanted her as a maid in the first place. She could only think of his intentions as sexual in nature, and if that was his motivation for this, she wasn't sure she wanted to make that deal.

"That's not fair. The terms need to be defined more clearly," Maya said, rotating on the stool and facing him directly. "You can't make me to do anything sexual or humiliating. And if you cross a line or harass me, I'm going to kick your ass."

"That works for me." A slow smirk spread on his lips, and Maya wondered if she was about to fall for some sort of trap.

"Do I have to wear a maid outfit?"

"That's up to you," he said, though he didn't look concerned about it either way. "Although I wouldn't mind it."

Maya let out a long sigh, cursing in her mind that she was about to get caught up in something else ridiculous. She already had to deal with this bet to seduce him. This was tacking on something else that would make her life infinitely harder. She already knew this was a bad idea, but it was either accept his deal or have to spend her weekend protecting Riley from the Big Bad Asshole Wolf.

Then again, she _could_ use the situation to her advantage…

 _Maya, are you seriously about to agree to this bullshit?_

Yes. Yes, she was.

"Alright. I accept."

Lucas' smirk turned a little nasty, and her breath caught in her chest for a second.

Why did she feel like she'd gotten caught in the spider's web again? Only this time with no hope to escape.

"So what's this?" Lucas picked up her sketchbook from the patio table, looking at the sketch of the backyard of the house that she'd drawn on that page. "Are you planning to paint this?"

Maya's gasped and she shot to her feet, reaching for it quickly to get it out of his hands. He caught her movement out of the corner of his eye and lifted it up before she could grab it, holding it out of her reach with an amused raised eyebrow. Despite her better judgement, Maya hopped up, trying to reach for it again, and Lucas snorted when she couldn't.

"Stop! Give it back!"

"What's in this sketchbook that has you so fucked up over me looking at it, hmmm?" Lucas asked mischievously, turning back one of the pages.

Maya's heart nearly stopped. She didn't care if he looked at her _sketches_ , but if he flipped back one more page, he would see her plans for seduction, and she _couldn't_ have that. He would know immediately what and who it was about and that would royally fuck up all her plans.

Maya moved behind him and hopped up on his back, trying to gain some sort of height advantage to reach his hand. When she still couldn't get it and Lucas started laughing, she covered his eyes with her hands.

"Don't look!" This called for something drastic. "I have uh… I have… I have erotic sketches in there!"

Lucas went still for a second, silent as he contemplated the new information she'd given him. She could feel one of his eyebrows quirk in surprise under her fingertips.

"You draw dirty pictures?"

"…Yupp." _Fuck me._ "I uh… I draw adult art, but I'm new at this and I really don't want anyone to look until I get better at it."

He didn't respond for several seconds, and Maya cursed in her mind, thinking that he wouldn't care and would still look through it anyway. Maybe she should have used a better excuse than drawing nudie art.

 _I mean damn! What the hell were you thinking?!_

But Lucas surprised her when he set the sketchbook back down on the table.

"Alright. I won't look."

Maya took her hands off his face, relaxing and resting them on his shoulders. She was relieved and grateful that he had acquiesced so easily and that the situation had diffused without her having to do anything crazy. Crazier, rather. If it hadn't worked, she might have taken more drastic measures, like sticking her fingertips up his nose or giving him a wet willy or something.

"Wait that's it? Seriously?"

"We all have our dirty little secrets," he said playfully, glancing over his shoulder at her. "Now I know one of yours. Why exploit it now?"

"Well thank you so very much for being considerate," Maya drawled, sliding off of his back and trying to hide the intense sigh of relief that passed through her entire body.

"Besides… it's kind of sexy."

Maya paused, brows furrowing and wondering if she had heard him correctly.

She blinked up at him in surprise. "What?"

"I mean, if you can think of these dirty things to draw and get the inspiration to draw them, think about how filthy you could be in bed," Lucas said, shamelessly checking her out. She just knew somehow he knew she wasn't wearing pants under her shirt. "And you're bat-shit crazy. I'm willing to bet you'd be into some pretty nasty stuff."

Maya licked her lips nervously, averting her gaze and closing her notepad, trying to quell the fluttering in her stomach. She _knew_ Lucas was sexually interested in her, but she'd far underestimated how nervewracking it was having his attention in that way. It was amazing that he had no problems saying such dirty things. It was kind of a turn on.

"I wouldn't know…" Maya muttered. "Haven't done anything of the sort."

"Yet," he pointed out.

She didn't dare make eye contact. She knew exactly how he was looking at her—she could feel the heat from his gaze—and Maya needed to mentally prepare. Why did feel so nervous being alone with Lucas?

"Anyway, you better not go back on your word," Maya said quietly, taking her sketchpad and sticking it back into her art satchel. "Riley is off limits."

Lucas gently grasped her chin, tipping her face up and regarding her seriously.

"You have my word, Maya. I won't mess with your friend."

She believed him. No matter how much of an ass he acted towards her at times, she fully believed that he would keep his promise.

Then his lips pulled up into a teasing smile. "There's no need to be jealous, though. I've only got eyes for you, babe."

Maya swatted his hand off her chin. "If you try anything, no maid."

"You as a maid is enough incentive for me."

"…You know, everyone calls you a delinquent and asshole, but you don't nearly get enough credit for how much of a nasty perv you also are."

A drop of water landed on Maya's forehead then and she glanced up at the sky, realizing the rain she'd been dreading had arrived. She expected there to be a few more errant droplets, but in the next second, the skies opened and a torrent of rain cascaded out of the sky, rushing down and almost immediately drenching her to the bone.

It took Maya a few seconds to register that they were standing in the rain, but she snapped out of it when Lucas cursed and walked back to the patio door. Maya grabbed her painting from the easel and her satchel, following Lucas and watching incredulously when he tried the handle and the door didn't budge.

"It's locked?!"

"Shit…" He turned around, gesturing to the patio stairs. "C'mon. The lounge room downstairs is always unlocked."

They headed quickly down the patio stairs to the pool level and much to Maya's relief, the glass door of the pool lounge opened right up. They hurried inside, and Maya dropped her stuff on the cobblestone, breathing hard to catch her breath as she ran a hand through her soaked hair. With a groan, she unbuttoned and pulled off her drenched top off since it was clinging to her skin uncomfortably. Even her tank top had gotten a little wet from contact with her shirt. She felt like a drowned cat. Lucas did the same, pulling off his top and wringing the water out of it onto the floor.

"Guess I can't paint anymore today…" Maya muttered, staring out of the patio glass at the heavy rainfall outside. Her painting was water lodged and completely soaked from the rain, the green paint sliding down the canvas and mingling with the brown. It was trashed now. What a waste. "What's there to do in this house when it rains?"

It wasn't like she had anything else to do. No homework since she'd skipped school, it was too early to go to bed, and she honestly didn't feel like chilling in her room at the moment. Part of her wanted to explore the parts of the house she hadn't yet had a chance to really check out, but she felt like she'd get lost without someone as a guide.

"…We could always finish up our game of pool," Lucas suggested with a mischievous look in his eye, gesturing toward the billiards room next to the lounge. "I mean, we're both pretty much half dressed."

She'd forgotten about the game. A game that actually would work very well in her favour considering what she was trying to do now. And he was right. Their current state of undress was pretty close to the way they'd left off.

"Huh. Okay." She nodded, resolving to shuck out her trepidation and embrace the seductress she was supposed to be. "Let's finish the game."

It hadn't been touched since they'd started a week ago. Maya and Lucas both had two balls to get in to leave the other totally nude, but the odds were in his favour not only because it was his turn, but also because any other shots he made successfully would leave her exposed one way or another. It was completely sudden death for Maya and her pulse thrummed in excitement at the danger of the situation. Starting with this kind of handicap left her with no other choice than to play dirty.

Lucas picked up the pool cues from the floor. "Whose turn was it?"

"It was yours. You're stripes," Maya said, peeling off her tank top and dropping it to the ground. She was so glad her underwear hadn't gotten soaked through. Both her bra and underwear were white and getting them wet would have definitely made them see-through. "Want to change the rules a bit? We take the clothes off each other."

"You really want to go down that route?" he asked with a raised brow, holding out a stick to her. "Especially when that's all you have left to wear?"

"Hell yeah I do."

She knew damn well what kind of atmosphere undressing each other would build, but then again, that was the goal after all. Lucas lined up to take a shot at one of his balls, and Maya walked around the table, stopping right beside him as he set himself. She leaned back against the table provocatively and fluffed out her hair, running her fingers through it slowly as she shook it out. He glanced at her, his gaze sliding down her figure briefly before he returned to his task.

"Should've known you weren't planning to play nice…" he muttered.

"Not my fault you're a horny adolescent. I'm just using my advantages." She took her lower lip between her teeth, leaning closer to him and giving him a racy look through her eyelashes. "Take the shot, _Lucas_."

A muscle ticked in his jaw when she lightly blew some air into his ear. Maya didn't think it would work that well considering he looked like he had his concentration in check when he took his shot. But he missed.

Maya felt a smile tugging on her lips. So she was already in his head, eh?

"Oops…" Maya took her pool stick and lined up for her shot, arching her back as she leaned down slowly and poking her ass out. She didn't have to look at him to know where his gaze was resting. "Can't take the heat, Huckleberry?"

"I wasn't expecting the distraction." He smirked, crossing his arms in front of his chest. "Not that it was unwelcome."

"Sure, sure."

Either way, his miss had ensured her victory. She was fantastic at pool. Maya knocked her solid ball in through a complicated bank shot, pretending to blow smoke off the top of her pool stick and tossing a smug look in his direction. She loved the sense of satisfaction she felt at the impressed look on his face.

"Still welcome that distraction now?" Maya flipped her hair over her shoulder, giving him a flirtatious look over her shoulder.

"Are you choosing to play dirty the entire game?" Lucas asked, amused.

"I made no physical contact with you when you were taking your shot. You're the one who got distracted." She trailed her finger along the wood as she walked over to him, wedging herself between Lucas and the table. She took hold of his belt loops, pulling him a little closer. "And now you've lost your pants."

Maya popped open the button of his jeans and tugged the zipper down as slowly as possible, her gaze locked with Lucas'. When she'd gotten it down, she hooked her fingers over the waistband of his pants, grasping the material as she slowly dragged his pants down his legs, crouching to her knees in front of his crotch. The smile slipped from Lucas' face completely, his gaze hooded as he stared down at her with heat in his eyes.

She rose to her feet slowly, her gaze flitting briefly to the slight swell in the front of his boxers.

 _Rise and shine, Bucky. Did you have a nice nap?_

"One more shot, and I get to see what's in your pants…" Maya said, skimming her hands along his sides and loosely tugging on his boxers. "And fyi: I _won't_ miss."

"Two can play at this game, Maya," he said ominously.

Maya scoffed. "You can't break my concentration. I'm super focused."

She caught the dangerous shift in his expression before he moved and a thrill ran through her body.

Lucas' hands settled on her waist, his thumbs caressing her skin as he stepped closer, closing what distance had been left between them. "Are you?"

Goosebumps erupted on her skin from the contact, and Maya swallowed hard when he backed her up against the pool table. She almost involuntarily grasped his biceps to hold herself upright, but she was caught off guard when he eased his knee between her legs. It forced her to hold on to him more tightly to prevent falling backwards on the table, and he knew it too.

"Yes," she nearly stammered, staring up at him a little surprised.

Lucas was more imposing than she had originally assumed, and she was starting to feel tingles between her legs from being trapped in his arms against the pool table. Her eyes drifted momentarily to his lips and the corner of his lips turned up in a dirty smirk.

"You sure?" he murmured, closer than before, his soft tufts of breath ghosting over her lips as he leaned down.

As much as she wanted to grow lost in his heady gaze and the warmth of his body against hers, Maya knew she had to be careful about this situation. It hadn't even been a day since their makeout and the memories of how easily she'd gotten swept away in his seductive kiss were still at the front of her mind.

But when he shifted and she felt his arousal against her thigh, she lost her train of thought. And all thoughts in her mind were silenced when he claimed her lips in a slow kiss, coaxing her to respond. Maya found herself reciprocating, and Lucas smirked against her mouth. It neither rough nor gentle, both of them trying to dominate it, both fighting for control.

Maya dropped the pool stick on the ground, ignoring the loud clatter and slid her hand up his chest and around his shoulders. She tugged him forward, tilting her head and deepening the kiss. He was still kind of damp, but it barely registered in her mind when most of her was pricking in excitement from the feel of his body pressed up fully against her.

She wound her other arm behind his neck, and Lucas responded by grasping her hips, lifting her up, and setting her on the pool table. Maya could feel his growing erection, and she pressed her thigh a bit more firmly against him, desiring the friction, despite all the alarms ringing in her head telling her not to.

The effect was instantaneous. Lucas let out a soft growl from deep in his chest, and Maya almost whimpered, a ripple of heat shooting down her back at the sound. But when the hand on her hip crept up and trailed up her back to the clasp of her bra, Maya suddenly wrapped her head around what was starting to happen. And fast.

 _Maya, stop it._ _You're just supposed to tease him a little, not fuck him on the pool table._

"…Okay," she breathed out, panting heavily and pushing on his shoulders a bit. Things were getting heavy much faster than she anticipated. "Hold on."

"Your move, Maya," Lucas whispered against her lips, his own breathing a little shallow.

She stared up at him in confusion. "What?"

She licked her lips, and it took every ounce of her will power to stop thinking about the kiss and focus on what was going on. They were supposed to be playing a game of pool. A game of pool in which it was her move. A game of pool in which it was her move and her legs were shaking and her mind was spinning.

Startled, she realized what had just happened. Lucas had intentionally and _successfully_ distracted her to throw her off by kissing her. And she'd played right in his hands.

 _Fuck._

"You're a jackass…"

"Your move," he repeated, sinfully low, green eyes smouldering.

Somehow, she knew he wasn't necessarily talking about their game. At least, not the pool game.

Maya pulled him forward and caught his lips again, sighing into his mouth when his tongue brushed against hers. It was just as intoxicating as before, fuelled by an intensity that made chills run down Maya's back. She laid back on the pool table, scattering the remaining balls and dragging Lucas down on top of her. He loomed over her, one arm braced on the table, the other trailing up and down her leg slowly. She rucked it up against his hip, arching closer to him as they made out languidly.

Maya's mind was whirling. She let out a soft, involuntary moan when his fingers skimmed the sensitive inner skin of her thigh, just barely stroking the apex, and ignited a fire that shot straight through her body.

"Maya, are you down—" Footsteps stopped in the room. "Oh wow! What the fuck is going on in here?"

Maya's heart stopped when she heard her mother's voice, and she broke away from Lucas with wide eyes. She turned and looked towards the doorway, appalled to see Katy standing there, staring at them, blinking in shock as if she couldn't believe her eyes. Maya didn't even want to know what her mother was seeing right now.

 _Holy shit…_

Lucas started laughing hard, and Maya snapped out of her state of disbelief, wrestling herself out of Lucas' hold and hopping off the table. She scrambled to rearrange her current state of undress as best as she could, knowing there was not much she could do salvage the situation when she could already see the shrewd cogs turning in her mother's head. This was so bad.

Maya swallowed hard, grabbing her tank top from the ground and trying to pull it on. "Mom, this isn't what it looks like."

"Really. Then what exactly is this," she gestured to their nearly naked states, "supposed to be? Because what I'm seeing is a game of strip pool that got a little intense."

"…okay so it's exactly what it looks like."

" _I'm not sleeping with him, Mom_ ," Katy teased, affecting Maya's voice. " _We're not close like that, Mom."_

"Mom, it's really not like that!" Maya said, her cheeks enflamed as Lucas kept laughing at the situation. "Lucas, shut up! You are not helping!"

"It's okay. No explanations necessary. Whomever with and wherever you want to hook up is your decision." Katy put her hands up as she backed away slowly with a playful grin on her face. "Just always use protection, baby girl. When you're done with… _that_ , I need your help upstairs."

Maya groaned, slumping in one of the chairs and running her hands through her hair in frustration. This was the absolute worst possible way this could have gone down. She was glad she had a mother who had always been lax about the things she did, but Katy would _never_ let her live this down after Maya had made such a huge deal about _not_ being involved with Lucas.

"I guess this game is over," Lucas said, sobering up and looking at the scrambled billiard balls.

"I'm glad you find the situation amusing," she sassed. "I can't show my face in front of my mom for the rest of my life because she'll never let me live this down, but it's great that you're getting a kick out of this."

"C'mon, you're being dramatic. It wasn't that bad." Lucas bent down and pulled his pants back up his legs. "And it didn't seem like she cared."

Maya leaned forward and rested her forearms on her knees, the mood totally gone. "Easy for you to say. You probably get caught all the time."

"You get used to it eventually." He walked up to her and stooped down to her eye level, a playful gleam in his eyes. "If it makes you feel better, from now on, we can do this in a private place."

Maya rose a brow, feeling a smile tugging at her lips. "Yeah? What makes you think we're going to do this again?"

"Because you want your orgasm," Lucas replied steadily, something carnal in his tone. "And because I want to see your face when you come."

She could never tell whether he was being serious or not. Maya prided herself on being pretty well versed on how to read people, but there was no doubt that trying to decipher the inner mind of Lucas Friar was a never ending maze, and just when she thought she made headway, it was another dead end. She knew the way to his sex drive, but not anything else as of now. It was frustrating.

Maya stood up, letting out the breath she'd been holding and trying to fight her urge to rub her thighs together. Her underwear was a little damp, and she knew it wasn't because of the rain. He wasn't helping things one bit by saying things like that.

"That's a pretty arrogant declaration. You're just assuming it's going to be you who gets me my orgasm."

He stood up as well, regarding her intensely. "Is that a no, Maya?"

"Not necessarily. I'm picking the highest bidder. You're not the only one who's in contention, you know? And right now? You're not the highest bidder." Maya shrugged indifferently. "Try harder, Huckleberry."

A cocky smirk formed on his lips.

"Challenge accepted, Shortstack…" he muttered.

Maya headed towards the pool lounge to grab her shirt and art supplies, chewing her lower lip to keep her ear-splitting grin from forming on her face. Fucking with his head was starting to get kind of fun.

But she had to get her shit together. She could talk a big game as much as she wanted, but her body was sensitive and she knew if she kept letting Lucas get to her this easily every time they got a little frisky, there was no way her seduction tactics would work. He'd see her as easy in no time.

But how the hell was she supposed to keep her cool when Lucas kissed like _that_?

Maya groaned, knowing she had her work cut out for her.


	23. Strange Encounters

**A/N: This marks the "halfway" point (kind of). Most all the setting up has been completed. It's still a slow build story in terms of romance, but the _plot_ will steadily pick up speed from here on out.  
**

 **Annnnd Happy Belated Birthday Guest! I tried to get this chapter out yesterday, but I fell asleep at my desk! I'm so sorry, but I hope you had a special day and enjoyed it and had tons of fun!**

 **(Also, Boobies, please don't fuck up my face lol)**

 **Thanks for sticking with this story regardless of all my mistakes and errors. I learned a lot about my writing in July—it's pretty messy and inconsistent—and I know I need to improve in writing stories in both French and English. I'm steadily trying to get better, and though it'll be a long process that will take me some time, I'm determined to reach my goals! You all are very sweet and your encouragement means so much to me; thank you, I love you all! :3**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own GMW or the characters, but shit... if I did... You guys better run... ヽ(￣д￣;)ノ=3=3=3**

* * *

 **To:** "Honey"

 **From:** "Peaches"

 **Subject:** Re: how's texas peaches? (not how are the peaches in tx, but how is texas, peaches)

hey riley!

alright, so i've got my room cleaned and ready to go for everything we need to make this weekend sleepover the best it can be. i'm glad you're leaving on monday instead of sunday! that means we get two full days with each other.

the bet is hopefully making some headway. i will admit, it's been slow going, but we're getting along better than before. don't get me wrong, he's still kind of a dick, but he has these random moments of kindness. granted, it's usually when I get stuck on something or fuck up, but he's also complimented my art and tried to make me feel better about josh, i think. it's hard to tell with him sometimes.

we made out on the pool table yesterday. and it was actually kind of fun (until my mom walked in on us. she was as embarrassing as she always is, which means basically i wanted to crawl under a rock and never come out). i don't know. he makes me feel "spontaneous" if that even makes sense. it's like whenever he's around, it's always fun to see how much i can push myself to confuse the crap out of him with crazy behaviour. i don't know… he's a pest, but he's really fun to mess with. plus he's a good kisser, so as much as i hate to admit it, i'm not really objecting to being a tease tbh…

but seriously. lucas is an enigma. i don't really know that much about him save for some delinquent behaviour and a less than stellar past. so far, all i know is he got kicked off the football team for getting in a fight, suspended for fighting in school, his mom went through some bad divorce, he has an antagonistic relationship with brandon and some unknown relationship with gina (the auburn haired girl i told you about who i'm pretty sure lucas is trying to hook up with) as well as a lack of interest in trying harder in school, plus he hooks up during school. zay has pretty good things to say about him, and for some reason, some people seem to be charmed by him.

i want to know the whys.

i mean somehow, he knows a lot about me without even trying. well, he _guessed_ a lot about me because for some reason, he can read me like a book which is actually kind of terrifying because if he can tell what can turn me on or annoy me or piss me off, isn't that a sure sign that he'd be able to figure out how to get me my orgasm? it's actually kind of freaking me out a bit, but it's oddly exciting too.

urgh this guy is confusing as hell. i need to do some intensive research on him. the goal is to see him as a human instead of this delinquent asshole fuckboy with a razor sharp intuition.

anyway, bring your summer clothes down to austin. you won't need any coats. the weather here is still warm and sunny even in cctober. your temperature highs are our lows lol

can't wait to see you tonight!

love you always my honey,

peaches

 _(sent 9:34 am 10/19)_

* * *

Maya sat up, a frown on her face as she strained her ears to listen. She was sure she'd heard a noise from downstairs.

There was silence for a while and she let out the breath she'd been holding, wondering if she was losing her mind. She laid back down, her head slumping back on her pillow as she tried to catch the last few zzz's of her slumber. But the minute she closed her eyes, she heard a noise downstairs. It sounded like the jarring noise of shattering glass.

"Oh God… it's a fucking burglar. Are we getting robbed…?" she muttered.

Maya ripped the covers off and clambered off her bed, her heart beating fast. Great. Just great. She and her mom finally found a place to stay after their house got completely messed up and now her new dwelling was about to get robbed. The Curse of the Misfortunate Harts was in full swing yet again.

She cautiously left her room, peeking out in the hallway and listening out for a possible burglar climbing stairs or trying to find the people. Maya crept out, her hands on the wall as she walked to her guest bathroom. She slipped inside the small crack, rushing over beside the toilet and grabbed the plunger. There was barely any light to guide her way as Maya made her way back down the hallway, but she knew Lucas' door was at the end and went right in his room, shutting the door as quietly as she could so the burglar couldn't know there was movement upstairs.

" _Psst_ … _Lucas_ ," Maya hiss whispered, setting the plunger on the ground and walking over to his side.

He didn't respond, still snoring without a care in the world. How the hell had he been able to sleep through the sound of glass breaking?

Maya shook him roughly, trying to get him to wake up. "Wake up! I heard a noise from downstairs."

"What the fuck…?" he grumbled hoarsely, turning and glancing at her over his shoulder, still half asleep. "Maya…?"

"There's a burglar in your house. I heard a loud noise and then there was a bang and glass shattering. You're getting _robbed_."

Maya was a little freaked out. Her old apartment back in New York had gotten robbed a couple times in the past—never when they were home thankfully though she had lost a couple laptops and their TV once—but that didn't mean that she wasn't afraid of the prospect. Especially since they were all still _in_ the house.

Lucas sighed, rolling over onto his back and raising a tired brow. "Maya, you're being dramatic. It probably wasn't anything."

"It was something. Don't dismiss me, you Huckleberry dumbass! This is a matter of life and death here!"

Lucas chuckled to himself but didn't bother moving, closing his eyes and clearly trying to get back to sleep. Maya's eyes narrowed and she climbed up on the bed, sitting on him and shaking him by his shoulders to get him out of bed.

"Stop being blasé about this and get up!"

He opened his eyes, glaring up at Maya in warning. "Maybe I would be able to if you weren't sitting on my fucking crotch."

She paused, frowning when she suddenly realized that what she felt through the blanket wasn't exactly… _flat._

 _Oh_.

Maya straightened, sitting up rapidly, her brows lifting in surprise by how _there_ it was. He inhaled sharply, reaching up and grasping her hips quickly to stop her squirming.

" _Maya_ ," Lucas growled through grit teeth. "Dammit, you're going to kill me."

"Does it hurt?" she asked, remaining totally and completely still, her heart thudding in her chest.

"I'm pretty sure you know the answer to that."

It did kind of feel like it was pointing straight up which meant to an extent, she was probably bending it with her weight. Part of her wanted to shift around to see how Lucas would react, but she could see the expression on his face was more peeved (and pained) than anything.

"Off," he muttered in annoyance.

"Are you going to help me investigate?"

"Yes." Lucas sighed. "Now get off before you actually crush my nuts."

Maya swung her leg over and climbed off the bed, trying not to laugh. She grabbed her discarded plunger from the ground, holding it like a baseball bat as Lucas peeled off his covers and slowly got out of bed, running a hand through his hair in exasperation.

"Alright, let's do this shit," she said in determination.

"Why the hell do you have a… you know what, never mind." Lucas snorted, shaking his head in amusement. "You're a fucking weirdo, you know that?"

"I'm the weirdo?" she snarked, pointing to his crotch. "Are you not going to take care of _him_ first?"

He had a slight tent pitching the front of his boxers, but it didn't look like he had any intention of worrying about it, despite the fact that she figured it was probably causing him some discomfort. (Or maybe it was just the tired look on his face coupled with his dishevelled hair and the exhaustion in his expression. She _had_ woken him up before the sun rose again, but at least this time it was for a better reason than just trying to stir him up.)

"It'll go away on its own eventually."

"So you just walk around with a boner?"

Lucas glanced down at himself, looking too tired to give any kind of shits whatsoever. "I'm not even fully erect. Why are you freaking out?"

"Gross," Maya muttered, just to badger him.

Despite her better judgement, her eyes drifted briefly back down to his crotch as she stared at the slightly raised part of his pants. She wondered if she'd ever actually seen him fully erect, but it wasn't like she'd ever really paid it full attention. She would have to eventually, since she'd have to get intimately acquainted with him.

"I can't exactly control it, you know, especially since someone _sat_ on it," he drawled.

Maya held her lower lip between her teeth, hiding her face when she felt like she was about to start laughing. It sucked for him, but she did find it arguably funny.

"I would offer to take care of it for you but there are more pressing matters to attend to." Maya jabbed the air towards the door with the plunger. "There's a burglar in your house, or did you forget?"

"We can check it out. But we have an alarm system here, you know? I'm pretty sure we would have heard the noise if there was a burglar."

"I _did_ hear the noise! Someone broke some glass downstairs, but you slept right through it." Maya sidestepped him quickly when he moved to his dresser to grab a sweatshirt and tugged it on. "You better not poke me with Buck— your joystick."

He rolled his eyes, yawning into his hand. "Just stay behind me."

She followed closely behind, poking her head around him to try to see what was in front of them as they made their way out of his room and down the stairwell nearby.

"You know I couldn't help but notice… you think there's a burglar in the house so you grabbed a plunger?" he asked, giving her an incredulous look over his shoulder.

"In the words of my mother: no one likes shit in the face. Don't underestimate a plunger."

"Damn straight," Katy said, suddenly appearing beside Maya as they headed down the hall towards the kitchen, a plunger in her hands like a baseball bat as well. "I heard a terrible noise downstairs. I went to your room to make sure you were safe, but you weren't there Maya."

"And now we know where you get that crazy streak from." Lucas looked at the pair of them and started laughing. "Do you two realize how you look right now?"

Maya and Katy glanced at each other with their identical plungers and positions, their tangled blonde hair piled messily on their heads, the slight bags under their eyes from their fatigue, their embarrassing pajamas.

"Meh… I've seen you look way worse, baby girl," Katy commented playfully. "You look very cute in your onesie."

"Right back atcha, Mom." Maya gave her a saucy wink and Katy flipped a few wayward strands of hair over her shoulder dramatically.

"I didn't know you were with Lucas though," Katy said, a twinkle in her eye. "It's early in the morning. Did you rendezvous in his bedroom last night?"

Maya sighed, having forgotten that her mother had caught them yesterday.

"Really, Mom? What do you think?"

"I don't know what to think ever since I walked in on you two about the have sex on a pool table."

"Yes mom," Maya said sarcastically as they walked by the dining room and approached the kitchen. "We had dirty, steamy sex in his bedroom on a school night."

"I actually would have sex on a school night, though." Lucas pointed out.

"I know _you_ would," Maya said and he snorted in response.

"Well back in my day, I did too, baby girl. You were conceived on a school night, you know?" Katy mused.

"You both make my life hell," Maya muttered quietly when they turned the corner and saw the lights on in the kitchen. "And for the record, we were only making out a little. Yes, we were barely dressed but it wasn't sex."

As they approached the entrance to the kitchen, Maya heard Layla cursing and cautiously peaked inside with the others. She was talking on the phone, stooped over and sweeping up remaining shards of glass on the kitchen floor. It looked like the glass of one of the patio doors had cracked and fallen all at once. Only the jagged edges on the frame remained. Maya opened her mouth to ask Lucas if he thought Layla got rid of the burglar already when Layla started talking on the phone again.

" _No_ , okay? For the last time, he doesn't want to see you or talk to you until you take responsibility, so take a hint and stop asking!" she barked and Maya nearly jumped at the fury in her tone. "He's eighteen. He can make his own decisions. If you can't understand and respect that what makes you think he's going to respect you?"

She was clearly talking about Lucas. Maya glanced up at him curiously only to see his expression had darkened considerably, a scowl on his face from his mother's words. Lucas walked into the kitchen, heading over to his mother, but Maya stayed in place, feeling like this wasn't really her business to butt into. She kind of felt like she was intruding.

"Mom? Did you break the glass?" Lucas asked in concern.

"Did I wake you up?" Layla sighed, straightening with the blue dust pan full of shards. "I'm sorry. I just got an infuriating phone call and when I came back inside, I slammed the door too hard and shattered it."

"He called again, didn't he?"

"Lucas…" she said apologetically, though she looked wary.

Without a word, Lucas reached over, gently taking the receiver from where it was nestled between his mother's ear and shoulder, and he set it back on the hook, abruptly ending the call with whoever Layla had been talking to.

"You don't have to answer if you don't want to," Lucas growled. "Just cut him out of our life for good."

She smiled slightly. "I know, cowpoke… You always tell me that. But even after all these years…"

With a soft sigh, Lucas wrapped his mother up in a hug, rubbing her back gently to comfort her.

"It's okay. I understand."

She shook her head. "We'll never have a normal life, will we?"

"Well, you always told me that being a Friar entailed crazy shit happening to us," he remarked and Layla chuckled. "I'd say this is pretty normal."

And then Maya was wrenched away from the doorway and back into the hallway by Katy. She stared at her mom in protest, annoyed that she was pulled away from the interesting conversation right when things were starting to get good.

"Maya, don't eavesdrop. That's none of your business, is it?"

She almost whined 'But Mom' like some petulant child taken away from her favourite toy, but Katy's expression was stern and somber, and she knew her mom was right.

"You were eavesdropping too, Mom," Maya stated, quirking a brow as they walked back towards the stairwell.

"I already told you not to follow my example. It's not my fault you don't want to listen, baby girl."

"Urgh, shut up."

Maya rolled her eyes, poking a finger into her mom's side. Katy yelped in surprise, jumping and walking faster to avoid Maya's offending finger.

It really wasn't her business to know what was going on with the Friar family, but just then, it had sounded like they had been talking about Lucas' father. Maya knew the complex mixture of dejection and hurt and anger in their tones very well. She'd breathed that tone twice now, so she was certain whoever the 'he' they were talking about was perhaps a family member if not the deserting father. What was it with all the mysterious 'he's' in people's lives?

And now she was even more curious about what had been in Lucas' life to make him turn out the way he was.

~.~.~

As Missy had predicted and warned Maya, the rumour mill had been on fire the day before and now that she and Lucas had returned to school—together—it had only fed the flames of the gossips. After Maya had arrived at school, it'd been nonstop whispers and pointing with some vulgar looks.

Apparently, the biggest rumour was that she and Lucas had skipped school to spend the whole day fucking. The other prominent rumours she'd heard was that she was trying to screw Brandon and Lucas in a threesome and that she and Lucas had been fuck buddies since she moved to Austin. But the dumbest one by far was the one that was going around that she was going to elope with Lucas. (To be honest, it sounded like something Camille would start). All of that from them making out at a party and then skipping school the next day.

These teens were a force to be reckoned with if they could draw those ridiculous conclusions from such small facts.

But still. While her efforts at the party were good enough to get the gossip started at the school, it wasn't nearly good enough if she really wanted Lucas to take her comments of sleeping with Brandon seriously. Which was why she'd headed into Psychology that day and plopped into the empty seat in the back next to Brandon without a second thought. Some of the other students stared at her like she was crazy, and she knew it would only feed the rumours, but that was the only way she could advance her plans short of debauchery in the middle of the school day. They had to appear close somehow.

Brandon didn't say anything all class, spending the entirety of Mrs. McCullen's lecture trying to wear a hole in the side of the desk with his pocket knife. He barely spared her a glance since she'd sat down next to him, and Maya wondered if he was choosing to ignore her after the craziness of her behaviour two nights ago. Then again, he seemed like the type to block out most things around him in favour of his own broody thoughts. It was pretty impressive how he refused to let any outside influences disturb him.

One minute before the bell rang, Maya tapped her pencil on his desk to get his attention.

"Hey, did you by any chance spread any more rumours about us today?

If not for the brief glance he threw in her direction, she would have assumed he hadn't heard her at all.

"Not a gossiping kind of guy, in case you didn't notice."

"Damn… I was kind of hoping you would. Can you? Or can you make it kind of seem like we're hooking up?"

"What's in it for me?"

 _I should have known_.

He was just like Lucas. Uninterested in doing anything for anyone unless it benefitted him directly.

"Let me guess: you need some insurance because getting involved with me is a disaster waiting to happen? You think it'll all go to shit, right?"

"You know me so well…" Brandon responded boredly, snapping his pocket knife shut and slipping it back into his pocket.

Maya let out a long breath. "Well, what do you want then? If you say sex, don't be surprised if you wake up in the nurse's office with a concussion."

"Nah, nothing like that." Brandon turned to face her, meeting her gaze head on. "Let's go out."

 _Huh?_

Maya frowned, contemplating him silently in confusion. She was certain up until that day that Brandon considered her public enemy number one.

"…Okay? But why?"

"Do I need a reason to want to go out with someone I like?"

Well… that was unexpected. She didn't believe it was a confession, but coming from him, who had made it pretty clear that he wasn't fond of her, it was surprising.

"You… wait, huh?"

He waited patiently for her to snap out of her stupefaction as she considered what he said. On the one hand, he didn't give her a reason _not_ to trust him because he hadn't particularly done anything untrustworthy. On the other, this came out of nowhere.

"Uh… Okay." She narrowed her eyes. "We're talking just one date, right?"

"Yeah. Tonight," he replied, the ghost of a smirk on his lips.

"My best friend is coming at eleven. Can you pick me up around eight?"

He nodded, turning his attention back to the teacher when the bell rang for the end of class and she began to announce the homework. Students began noisily packing their books for their next class in the second block.

"Just to clarify," Maya said slowly, gathering up her notebook and stuffing it inside her bag, "you did just ask me out on a date, right?"

"Yeah."

"Okay…"

So that was that. She was going on a date with Brandon and she literally had no idea why he asked her out save for his possible confession.

Maya rose from her seat, leaving her classroom in a slight haze and wondering why all the people who she happened to meet were so strange. Maya was probably a shade removed from screwball herself, being related to her mother and all, but damn, these people at this school were nuttier than her. Between Lucas, Brandon, Missy, Zay, Lexi and Camille, she was wondering if there even existed a normal person in this school.

She was so glad to see Missy when she walked into her history classroom.

"Guess who's going on a date with Brandon tonight?" Maya said, dumping her stuff on her desk and sitting down.

"Okay, that definitely merits my full attention." Missy frowned, putting her phone down on her desk. "Why didn't you tell me earlier?"

"It just happened last period. He asked me out all of a sudden and said he liked me. No precedent. I don't get it."

Missy ripped out her notepad from the side pocket of her purse and started furiously scribbling on a vacant page.

"You better tell me every detail of this date. This is way too juicy to not be something. Who would have thought The Decoy would fall for the girl too? Wouldn't it be funny if your life turned into some cliché rom com love triangle with the asshole guy you were supposed to seduce and the other asshole guy you unintentionally seduced and you fall for both of them and then all this drama happens because the two guys are mortal enemies going after the same girl?"

"Not going to happen, Missy. They're both annoying asses." Maya snickered. "Besides, he didn't fall for me."

Granted, she didn't really know _what_ Brandon was thinking, but she was pretty sure he hadn't asked her out because he wanted to get to know her better or "liked" her.

"Please? We need more juicy drama in this school." She pouted, batting her eyelashes.

"Not even for you. You're not cute enough." Maya ducked when Missy pretended to throw a pen at her. "Why not ask Zay for drama? He seems like he'd be good at stirring up trouble."

"The price is too high. He won't stop at just a _little_ trouble. He'll make a mess everywhere and then stand atop the rubble laughing maniacally." Missy put her notepad away. "Your best friend is coming over tonight right?"

"Yeah, you should stop by and meet her. You guys would probably get along well. She's way more hyper than you, but you're both meddlers."

"Hmm… can't. Tonight is mother-daughter tea time with my dear old mommy," she drawled sarcastically.

"She forces you to have mother-daughter time with her?" Maya asked.

"If she doesn't we would only see each other once a week. Kind of what happens when your mom is a novelist," Missy responded, picking up her phone to respond to a text.

"How come I'm just learning this now?" Maya found it pretty interesting that Missy just released that information like it was nothing.

"Because you don't know how to properly investigate people." Missy laughed. "Don't worry, you're not missing much. She writes sex novels and self-help guides for couples that need a few ideas in the bedroom."

"Still, that is pretty interesting."

"It certainly made career days in primary school interesting. She got banned after the third grade. But I am free tomorrow evening though." Missy gasped softly. "Hey! Why don't you convince the moms to leave tomorrow night so we can throw a major party? It'll be like a welcome to Austin party for your friend. And Lucas' place has a pool, so we can totally make it a pool party."

"I don't know…" Maya grimaced, hesitating. "I love the idea, but it's not really my house. I don't know if I can make that call."

"Then ask your fuck buddy," she said, jutting her chin towards the door.

Maya gave Missy a dirty look as Lucas walked into the classroom, looking bored out of his mind.

"What's up with him?" Missy questioned, brows furrowed as she scrutinized him. "He looks slightly more bored than usual. Or in a bad mood or something."

Maya shrugged as Lucas sat at his desk, though she recalled what had happened that morning. Was the phone call still weighing on his mind? It did look like he had a lot on his mind. There was something about his demeanour that told her he didn't want to be bugged today, and that anyone who did would probably get punched.

"Hey, Ranger Rick." Maya leaned closer so he could hear her over the noise of the classroom. "Would you be okay with me throwing a party tomorrow night for Riley?"

"I don't mind, but if my mom is home on Saturday your plan might get fucked," he said. "She's not big on teen parties in her house."

"Do you think you could convince your mom to go on a vacation or something for the weekend? Saturday would be perfect for a party. Plus, you know, free booze in your basement."

"You sure you should be anywhere near alcohol?" Lucas teased, a small smirk on his lips. "Wouldn't want you to puke in the pool or something."

Missy snorted, hiding her face behind her phone to pretend like she wasn't listening.

"I can hold my liquor," Maya asserted.

"I'll believe it when I see it. But I'll see what I can do."

"Thanks."

When Maya straightened, she noticed half the class was turned around watching them converse and whispering to their seat neighbours. She sighed in exasperation. They were probably going to use her conversation with Lucas as fodder for their rumours. While Maya's intentions were for rumours to spread, she definitely didn't want to sit through lectures for the rest of the day where all people did was gossip about her and Lucas. It was like they were anticipating something to happen between them in class. The stares were weirding her out.

"Yeesh… they're acting like we're fucking on the teacher's desk or something. And all of this because I made out with you at a party."

"That's what tends to happen when you associate with me," he replied, checking the time on his phone.

Maya looked at Lucas, wondering if she had imagined the resigned tone of his voice. Or maybe it had been imagined, but she couldn't lie that now she was sure that there was definitely something about Lucas that seemed like he was frustrated. Maybe a little drained.

He picked up his bag and rose from his seat, clearly getting ready to leave class much to the confusion of many people.

"Where are you headed?"

"I'm skipping. I don't feel like dealing with people today." He glanced at her before walking out the classroom. "You coming?"

Missy and Maya shared a look.

"He invited you to skip with him? You better tell me what's going on with him when you find out, Maya."

She nodded, ignoring the tittering of some of her classmates as she snatched up her stuff and hurried out the classroom before their teacher arrived. Lucas was waiting outside, leaning against the lockers.

"I knew you were going to follow me, Shortstack," Lucas said, sounding a little amused.

"I'm tarnishing my rep even more by leaving with you so this better be worth it." She fell into step beside him as they began to walk towards the back of the school. She found it so weird that she was skipping with Lucas of all people. "Where to? Did you have a plan in mind or are we just going to waste time?"

"It's off school grounds. Last chance to change your mind. If we get caught, you'll probably get suspended."

On the one hand, Maya didn't really care _that_ much about school, but skipping school twice in a row? If her mom found out, she would have her head. But she did want to see where Lucas went whenever he cut classes. Plus he was acting kind of strange, like his thoughts were all over the place. She figured going with him would give her some more insight into his character, and maybe she'd figure out what was on his mind that had significantly dampened his mood.

"Let's go," she confirmed.

They walked off to his car, Maya feeling like she was going off on some sort of adventure.


	24. Who Is Lucas Friar

**A/N: Some of you guys are A+ at figuring out my cliché "plot twists" lol. This would have been up sooner, but I was trying to update five things at once and it didn't work out.  
**

 **Hi Kapola! I do appreciate your constructive criticism; thanks for letting me know your thoughts on what works and doesn't in the story! In answer to your inquiry, Maya's character is/was written very deliberately with a certain flaw and I am trying to show growth (I guess poorly), but we're still at a certain stage so I can see how it's hard to see any real change right now. I appreciate your reviews!  
**

 **Also happy belated birthday to all the Guests that requested a new chapter for their birthday! Sorry, I can't usually meet those requests because my schedule shifts around so much it's hard to find time to write unless your request happens to fall at exactly the same time I can update, but I hope in spite of that, you still had fantastic birthdays and received so much love and happiness from your friends and family!**

 **I appreciate you guys' comments and the support! Thank you for the criticism and letting me know how you feel about the story! And thank you sweet people who have let me know that my English has definitely improved over the years! I appreciate it a lot and I thank you for your heartwarming words! I'm sorry for taking so long to update, but I can't make any promises anymore now that I am making preparations for my school term and now that work has gotten particularly busy. I hope despite that, I can still find more time to work on the story! :3**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own GMW or the characters, but shit... if I did... You guys better run... ヽ(￣д￣;)ノ=3=3=3**

* * *

Maya wasn't sure what she had expected when she hopped into Lucas' car and they drove off the school grounds, but she had thought it would be some bar or maybe an arcade or someplace similar to where Maya's friends usually went when they skipped school to relax somewhere quiet.

But she hadn't expected Lucas to drive out pretty far from their school and pull over on the side of some wide open, grassy field that stretched on for miles. There were some trees in the distance, but it was for the most part bare.

It was totally and completely fucking mindboggling.

"Interesting choice of location. I thought you were going to bring me to some strip club."

Lucas chuckled from where he was relaxing on the grass. "I'm pretty sure if I had, the New York cliché in you would have tried to kick my ass."

"You know me too well…" Maya drawled, looking around curiously and holding down her skirt when the breeze threatened to flip it up. "Why here? I like it, but you don't really strike me as a grassy plain type of guy."

"My mom used to bring me here when I was a kid. Helps me think," he responded with a yawn, lying back on the grass, his hands resting behind his head as he stared at the sky. "Cool down a bit."

She could see why it would help. The place was calm and the air smelled clean, almost sweet in a way. It was still a bit hot because there was no shade from the sun, but it was pretty nice.

But since he'd mentioned 'cooling down', she knew her suspicions of his bad mood had been correct.

"So why'd you ask me to come with you? Wouldn't me being here have the opposite effect?"

"You seemed a little annoyed. I figured you wouldn't want to stick around to hear people gossiping about you all day."

He had a point. And she had to admit, her patience would have probably worn thin if she'd had to sit through the rest of the day listening to people talk about her.

"You seem kinda down too," Maya said nonchalantly, sitting down next to him and watching some birds flying in the distance.

"What makes you say that?"

She gave him an incredulous look. It didn't take a genius to figure out he was clearly stewing over something. Plus his general disposition definitely revealed an underlying irritation.

"Well for one, there's the fact that you could have seen my panties when I sat down, but you ignored the opportunity."

"No, I definitely saw them." He smirked. "Looney Tunes days of the week? It's not Tuesday, you know?"

"Okay fine, so your mood doesn't affect your ability to be a perv." Maya sighed, poking him in the side. "C'mon. If you have something you want to get off your chest, I can listen. We've got some common life experiences. If it's about your father, I know a thing or two about ones who leave. And I was a delinquent in my youth too. I stole things. Bit people. Ran around naked whenever I could."

"Nothing has changed with the naked thing, huh?" Lucas said playfully.

"I don't run around naked; I have on underwear most of the time, thank you," she said, though her lips tugged up in a smile.

"I wasn't that kind of delinquent. Just an angry kid with a temper."

"I heard about why you left Austin in junior high," Maya said.

He glanced at her, a brow raised dubiously. "All of it? Or the rumours?"

"Just some of the rumours. Something about you trashing a classroom and then tossing a desk out the window and uh… the girl who got hurt."

"…Not my proudest moment," he muttered, his gaze returning to the sky, his expression darkened a bit. "My mom got hurt because of my father, but my response to my anger shouldn't have been violence. Someone who wasn't even involved got hurt."

Maya held her breath. So it had been true.

"Is that why you left?" she asked. "Your father?"

"That's the main reason."

How much of an asshole had his father been for him to become such a dangerous, angry teen in thirteen short years? That was barely enough time for anyone to experience life and yet Lucas already developed a temper. Whatever his youth had been like, he must have been scarred for life. Maybe even a little broken.

And she knew what _that_ felt like.

"You know," Maya started, picking at her fingernails nervously. She felt a little weird talking to him about a touchy topic like this. It required a bit more vulnerability than she was willing to show, plus letting her guard down and talking about her experiences made her anxious. "My mom's gotten a divorce twice. And losing two fathers hurts me more than I like to admit to people. It's not really something I like to talk about, but being left by them _has_ kind of messed up the way I live life. Among other things. So I totally understand if you're still reeling from your past."

"The worse the father, the more it fucks you up," he agreed. "Especially when they leave their mess behind and you have to pick up the pieces."

"Yeah. I know the feeling. My biological father was like that. I might have been able to forgive his behaviour if he hadn't deserted us," she said, shaking her head as she thought about how absent he always was in her life. "He had a couple run-ins with the law because of his drug habits. After all that, things with my mom got pretty bad. Then he deserted us, we got evicted from our apartment, and we had to start from scratch."

"Holy shit." When she glanced down at Lucas, he was staring up at her in surprise, an apologetic look in his eyes. "How old were you?"

"Nine. Though I don't know why my mom ever decided to date a guy named Kermit Clutterbucket in the first place. He just sounds like a moron from his name alone."

Lucas laughed. "You're a _Clutterbucket_?"

"I'm a _Hart_." She rolled her eyes good-naturedly. Everybody always made fun of her for that unfortunate name. "I shucked that name from my life when he decided not to be my father anymore. I'm no longer a Clutterbucket, just like you're probably no longer a..."

"Glenwood."

"A Glenwood." Maya did a double-take, gasping softly as she turned to face him. "Wait. _Glenwood_? As in Gina? You have the same last name?"

"If my mom had taken his last name, yeah."

"How…?"

"Well, seeing as how she's my half-sister, it would make sense that we would have had the same last name, don't you think?" he said sarcastically, giving her an amused look that made her feel so utterly stupid she could feel her ears flush with heat.

"Okay, that was a really stupid question. That's not what I meant." Maya was still shocked by the revelation. She'd been completely wrong about their relationship. "It's just that you guys are _siblings_."

He chuckled. "Did you really think I was trying to hook up with her?"

"You don't exactly have the best reputation, you know? Plus you don't look like each other at all. And she's gorgeous."

"Fair enough."

That explained a lot. It also kind of explained why they kept mentioning some mysterious 'he'. They had probably been talking about their father.

"I'm guessing neither of you two had or have a particularly great relationship with your father either?" she asked tentatively, hoping she wasn't prying.

Conversations about messed up families were best tread lightly, and Maya herself was usually opposed to talking about hers. And after that morning, she didn't doubt it was something of a sore spot for Lucas as well.

"If you can even call him that." Lucas shook his head. "He saw us as his possessions. A claim to his success, but nothing else. After my parents divorced, my mom refused to have any more romantic relationships. She was depressed for a year after the end of her screwed up marriage. He ruined her."

"And you," Maya said softly, suddenly realizing how similar their experiences were. "You don't see the merit in having legitimate relationships anymore."

Which was probably related to the birth of Fuckboy Friar.

She could understand the sentiment. Seeing that happen to a loved one could be enough for someone to decide to avoid relationships altogether.

"Do you?" he asked.

"Not anymore after Josh." Her nose wrinkled in disgust. "My mom and I both used to think like that until she got married again. And her happiness made me think I could have happiness too, and then I fell for Josh and you know how that story goes. Then both our relationships ended and now we're back to disinterest. But my mom's suffered the most in all this mess. She really loved my stepdad."

"Is that why you guys moved to Austin?"

Maya drew her knees up to her chest, resting her chin on her knees. Walking down memory lane sucked, but at least Lucas wasn't doing that thing people always did when they heard about her life and spoke to her with pity in their voices like she was completely helpless or something.

"Yeah. He's Riley's pseudo uncle. It was just too awkward for us to be around anymore."

Her heart tugged sharply in her chest and she chewed on her lower lip when the familiar pain in her chest came back. This was the exact reason Maya never really let her guard down or talked about this. It hurt too much. She kept his name out of her mouth for the very reason that it still hurt to think about him. Just when things had finally started to pick up, just when she'd truly begun to think of him as a father—to call him dad—she'd lost faith in relationships again when things with him and her mother didn't work out.

"Was his name normal at least?" Lucas said playfully after a few moments of silence.

"Wow. Really?" Maya snorted in amusement in spite of herself. "That's what you're thinking about from that?"

"It seems like it was an improvement from the other guy," he replied. "Even if it didn't last, at some point, at least you both were happy. It was a good relationship, no matter how it ended."

"I guess. But it was not on a happy note."

"But you had overwhelmingly good moments before things crumbled, right?"

She nodded. It was true. It was a happier time for both her and her mother, and things had gone well for three years.

"Focus on that."

"Easier said than done. The divorce is still fresh in my mind." She sighed. Hell, their fights towards the end of the marriage were still fresh in her memory too.

"Just give it some time," Lucas said with a shrug. "It'll get better."

"I hope so."

They fell silent for a spell, Maya relaxing in the soft breeze that drifted past them, breaking the stagnancy of the heat bearing down on them. There was something weird about sitting and talking about her past and issues with Lucas, but it wasn't uncomfortable. And she felt mostly relaxed even thought she'd let her guard down in front of him. But he'd neither said nor done anything to make her feel like it'd been a bad idea to tell him a bit about her past. She'd misread Lucas. He was way more complex than she'd originally thought. It was comforting to know there was someone else who had a similar experience as her. Plus it was the first conversation she'd had with him where neither had tried to be obnoxious with the other.

"I know you're pissed off at your father, but do you ever miss him?"

Even though Kermit hadn't been a great father, she'd still felt the absence pretty substantially in her life.

"Never," Lucas growled through grit teeth in a low dark tone that made Maya's hair stand on edge. "He made our life hell. And that's not even accounting for other people's lives that he screwed up with his actions. He refuses to take responsibility."

She wanted to ask more about what had gone down with his father, but Lucas didn't look like he particularly wanted to speak. There was frustration in his gaze and regret and anger but way beneath that something grim and solemn she knew he'd probably spent years trying to conceal. It was something she knew no one had probably ever been able to recognize on his face because he was pretty good at keeping up his guard too. Plus it was hard to see it with the way he acted much of the time. But Maya knew it was there, because she knew for so many years she'd looked that way too, acting indifferent to mask her heartache.

She felt kind of bad for him. He wasn't just a heartthrob jerk, but one who seemed to have a difficult past that he was still dealing with. Maya knew what it was like. But this conversation was a serious downer and she was sure he wanted as much a change of topic as she probably did too.

"Okay, change of subject," she said blithely in an effort to lift the mood a bit. "I've decided I'll let you cop a feel if it'll cheer you up."

"Sounds like a trap," he said. "Encouraging perverted behaviour doesn't suit you, Maya."

"Would you rather I exploit your current mood then? I'm a master at annoying people, just so you know."

"I'm aware." Lucas smiled. It was barely there, but it was real, and Maya's stomach fluttered a bit when his gaze shifted and met hers. "You're pretty annoying."

" _Hey_."

He chuckled, shaking his head and ignoring her indignation. Maya stared at him. He didn't seem to be in any particular bad mood anymore, but there was still something subdued about him. Or rather, she knew he needed a distraction from his thoughts. And Maya knew just what kind of distraction to use.

"This doesn't mean anything, Huckleberry." She rotated onto her hands and knees and crawled over to him, hovering over him with a small smile. "You just look like you need some cheering up."

His brows furrowed questioningly for a moment, but Maya leaned down and pressed her lips gently to his. There was nothing dirty about it, and she wasn't trying to slide her tongue into his mouth or anything. Really, it served no purpose, but she felt compelled to kiss him.

Maya broke the kiss, meeting Lucas' gaze as he stared up at her, an eyebrow quirk in intrigue.

"Do you always cheer guys up by kissing them?" The corner of his lips tugged up in a slight smirk. "Not that I'm complaining."

"I'm making an exception for you," she said, tucking a loose strand of hair behind her ear. "So cheer up. I need someone to pick fights with, and I can't very well do that if you're all mopey."

Lucas chuckled, rolling his eyes, and Maya was relieved to see that the usual playful gleam in his eyes was back. They didn't seem so dulled by anger anymore.

"So what you're saying is, you want me," he murmured, reaching up, his hands grasping her waist.

"What? How on earth did you get that conclusion when I said nothing about—"

He tugged her back down and closed the distance between their lips in a searing kiss. This one _wasn't_ particularly soft. It was dirty and pervasive and before Maya knew it, she was reciprocating, her tongue brushing his as they made out. She knew she was playing a dangerous game especially since she couldn't deny she'd been harbouring this insatiable need to kiss him again. And she knew that deep down it came from her odd attraction to him.

She swung a leg over him, straddling his crotch when he tugged her closer, her smaller frame pressed flush against his. Her body reacted, a flash of heat passing through her.

"Someone's clearly in a better mood," Maya joked, breaking the kiss briefly to catch her breath.

"No, I'm definitely still upset," Lucas responded, his eyes dancing in mirth.

He pulled her back down, and she went willingly, ignoring the thoughts in her mind that she was being too enthusiastic about it. Maya was a little dazed, surrendering to the intensity of the sensation as they explored each other's mouths. She felt weak limbed, the fervour of their kiss overwhelming her and leaving her wanting more all at once.

Lucas let go of her waist, lightly dragging his fingertips up her spine underneath her shirt, the other hand sliding under her skirt and squeezing her ass. Maya felt a shiver run through her body and knew that whatever this was should stop before they both got carried away, but she couldn't help it. Not when he had his mouth on her neck, sucking on the sensitive skin and nearly forcing the wanton moan threatening to spill from her lips out.

She settled down on him fully, grinding on him, slow and steady and relishing in the thrilling current of energy she felt from his heat. Hearing Lucas' low growl of pleasure only ignited the flame and her heart raced in her chest, suddenly overcome with an even stronger desire to feel his skin against hers. There was something decidedly risqué about making out in a field outdoors. There wasn't anyone around, but it wasn't like someone couldn't show up or drive by and see them. It'd be pretty obvious what they were up to then.

They rolled over, their legs tangling together as she tugged on the collar of his jacket. She pulled him down on top of her, her fingers threading in his hair as he kissed her languidly. The hard grass was poking her back at odd angles, and it wasn't the most comfortable position but she didn't want to stop kissing him. Though she did wonder how far this was going to end up going. She wasn't entirely sure she would be up for having sex in the grass and getting twigs or dirt up her cooch or something. That would be so awkward.

Maya burst out laughing hard at the thought.

Lucas rose up a bit, giving her a weird look. "What?"

"Nothing."

She brought him back down, kissing him again and trying to focus on the hand caressing her waist. But she couldn't stop thinking about the grass in her ass thing.

Maya snickered again, and Lucas lifted himself off of her a bit, raising a brow in amusement.

"Are you ticklish or something?"

"No, but have you ever thought about how problematic it would be to have sex in grass? I could literally get grass stuck in my vagina."

His brows furrowed. "That's… definitely a _strange_ thing to think about."

"But it's a reasonable fear even though it would be arguably funny if it happened." She rose up onto her elbows. "You're not concerned about it because there's no entry point for you down there that can end up with grass getting stuck in you."

Lucas' confusion disappeared only to be replaced by a slow smirk. "I thought you said I wasn't the highest bidder."

"Huh?"

"What you just said implies that you want us to have sex."

Shoot. She was letting her horny body do the talking instead of thinking with her brain.

"I was being hypothetical."

"It was on your mind though. I can make it happen right now, you know?" he murmured lowly, hooking a finger onto the waistband of her skirt. She couldn't tear her gaze away from his, her pulse picking up speed. "But I'm still not sure you can handle it."

Before she had the chance to respond, a car door slammed shut behind them. Maya and Lucas both glanced in that direction. She was a little surprised she hadn't heard a car pull up in the first place. Zay was trudging through the field in their direction, a smarmy grin on his lips.

" _Maya_? I wasn't expecting to see you here," Zay chuckled as he approached. "Is it safe to look? Are all body parts and appendages appropriately concealed and hidden from my view?"

"I thought you said this was _your_ thinking spot," Maya said, turning to Lucas in confusion.

"Zay's the only one who knows I come here when I skip. Well and now you."

He rose to his feet, reaching down and lifting Maya up to her feet when she held her hands up. Zay watched them with a smug look of amusement as she rearranged her clothes and patted the back of her skirt to remove any grass stuck on her.

"I feel like I interrupted something."

Thank God he had. Maya hadn't figured out what to say to respond to Lucas' proposition yet. It was starting to get a lot harder coming up with reasons to slow things down whenever they got frisky when her actions were the complete opposite of her words. Lucas obviously didn't believe her. Hell, she didn't even believe herself.

"Nothing was going on," Maya said. "We were just messing around a little."

"If you say so." Zay grinned, eyeing Maya like he didn't believe her. "Anyway, are you coming to the rodeo with us tonight, Maya?"

She'd forgotten about that. "Can't. I have a date."

Her comment made both Lucas and Zay pause and stare at her in disbelief (or in the case of Zay, absolute shock).

"A date? You, Maya? With who?"

She gave Zay a dirty look. "For your information, Brandon asked me out, and I said yes."

That _really_ got their attention then. Lucas' scowl was back on his face and he and Zay shared an uneasy look.

"Uh Maya? You sure you want to go on a date with him? He's rumoured to have killed a man."

"I'm sure they're just that. Rumours," she responded, though she kept her gaze on Lucas, carefully gauging his reactions. He looked pretty annoyed. "I'm rumoured to have slept with Lucas. And we all know that's not true."

"Yet." Zay pointed out. "You don't know Brandon."

"All the more reason to go on a date with him. How else am I supposed to get to know him better?" Maya shrugged. "Why are you so against my date? You don't know him either, Zay."

"But I do," Lucas responded, clearly nonplussed. How exactly did he know Brandon? Maya was curious why he kept getting so defensive and annoyed when she brought him up. "Get real. Are you really trying to go on a date with him right after these rumours have started spreading? "

Rumours that she'd willingly provoked.

"Lucas, I'm sure he's not going to try anything with me."

If he did, she'd definitely make sure he would never be able to walk straight again.

"You're being careless, Maya," he responded, his expression indecipherable.

She stared up at him, her heart skipping a beat in her chest from his tone. Zay looked at the two of them uneasily, a slight grimace on his face.

"I appreciate your concern, but it's really not that big of a deal." She averted her gaze, messing with the bottom of her top. "Have fun at the rodeo, but I'm going on my date tonight."

She felt kind of guilty. This seemed almost wrong, especially after all the sharing the two of them had done, but she had a plan to fulfil and clearly this was working. This was what she'd wanted. Jealous Lucas, Brandon as a decoy.

So why was she feeling so uneasy…


	25. Secrets Don't Stay Hidden Forever

**A/N: It has been brought to my attention that there is someone on Wattpad impersonating me. Umm... If you're reading this, I'm just really confused why you're doing it. (Lol I'm a really boring person). Wouldn't you have much more fun writing and sharing your own stories and allowing people to connect with and get to know the real you? How can people learn about the interesting things in your personality if you're hiding yourself away by pretending to be someone else? Just be yourself lol! :)**

 **Also for those of you who have been asking if I have an account on Wattpad, the answer is no. I only publish my stories here and some smut on my Ao3 account.  
**

 **I just wanted to say I'm sorry for leaving you hanging for so long. I'm back now. You won't have to wait more than half a year for an update ever again lol :P**

 **Thank you for being patient with me and sorry for the wait (lol ten months, holy shit)! I appreciate all of your comments, and though I haven't had a chance to respond to all of them yet, I promise I will do it tomorrow, but it's late and I need some sleep lol! I promise this story is _not_ abandoned and I'm working my bum off to finish it for once. It's been long enough and it's about time I got busy to get it done :)**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own GMW or the characters, but shit... if I did... You guys better run... ヽ(￣д￣;)ノ=3=3=3**

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Maya sighed as she tried to curl another small section of her hair behind her head, her thoughts still lingering on the argument she'd nearly had with Lucas back at the field. What was up with him and always getting so peeved whenever she mentioned Brandon? She didn't know how to deal with his constant annoyance with that and the mystery surrounding whatever it was their relationship was, but one thing she did know was that maybe she could try to get some answers from Brandon.

Layla walked into the bathroom a few minutes later. "Oh sorry, Maya. I was just looking for any spare bathrobes for your friend."

"It's no problem," she said congenially. "I think I saw one in the cabinet."

Layla watched her struggle to curl her hair. "Do you need some help with the back of your head? I know my way around a curling wand."

"Thanks, I'd really appreciate it."

She took it from Maya and then continued to help her get the back of her hair. Maya thought it was a nice gesture, considering they hadn't had a chance to talk all that much yet. Layla usually worked long hours or hung out with Katy, so Maya only really saw her occasionally. But now that Lucas had told her a bit about his past, Maya could understand why Katy became such good friends with Layla so quickly, considering they'd both experienced pretty rough marriages and divorces.

"So how do you like Texas and your school so far?" Layla asked as she smoothed down some fresh curls and stepped back to view her handiwork. "Has adjusting been okay? I heard your first week was a little rocky."

"It's better than I expected, although the heat is kind of hard to deal with. I was expecting colder weather by now," Maya responded as she pulled out her mascara to touch up her eyelashes. She was too lazy to do anything else though. "And things have definitely been going better too."

Except for that one little hitch that could end with her stripping in front of the whole school.

"I'm glad to hear that," Layla muttered darkly, resuming the curling once again. "If Lucas' actions the week before had made the rest of your school days awful, I would have really given him a piece of my mind. I swear, sometimes I really don't know _what_ is going through that damn boy's head."

 _You and me both sister._

"Maybe he's still dealing with his issues from your bad divorce, and he's acting out in his own weird ways," Maya suggested with a shrug as she thought about what Lucas had divulged that afternoon. She looked up as she applied the brush onto the lashes of her other eye. "I know I haven't gotten over even my mom's first divorce."

Layla finished another set of curls and paused in her work as she gave Maya an odd look. She had a weird little smile playing on her lips and for a second, Maya wondered if she'd said something wrong. Maybe mentioning the divorce hadn't been the best idea, especially since the phone call that morning must have opened up old wounds.

Maya grimaced, ready to apologise for being impetuous, but Layla beat her to the punch with her response.

"You know, Maya, you're probably right." Layla sighed as she finished another curl and moved it into place. "Lucas is a very protective boy. Almost to a fault."

"To a fault?"

"You may not think it's true because of the way he acts sometimes, but he would do anything to protect the people he cares about," she explained. Maya had heard that one before, and she hadn't quite believed it, but coming from his mother, she was beginning to think Zay hadn't been wrong at all. "But when he doesn't have an outlet for his anger, it tends to come out in all the wrong ways. And especially in ways that other people get hurt. Did you know Lucas got expelled from school the year of my divorce?"

Maya nodded, listening attentively to Layla as she told her this information. Surprisingly, she reasoned it wasn't just because anything she knew about Lucas could be used as an advantage in her goals, but also because she honestly was curious how far the extent of his demons went.

"Did he tell you what happened the day he got expelled?"

"He trashed his classroom and a girl ended up in the hospital, right?"

"There's more to it than that."

Maya grew uneasy by the dark look in Layla's eyes. Her stomach twisted in knots.

"Lucas hadn't wanted to leave my side that morning for reasons, but I sent him off to school. Let's just say thanks to John, I ended up in the hospital that afternoon. When Lucas got expelled, he went after his father. I didn't know the details in full of whatever happened—I was still hospitalised at that point and neither of them still has told me—but when he got home, Lucas' arm was broken, and John told me if Lucas ever disrespected him again, he'd make sure he'd break every bone in Lucas' body. I didn't know how serious he was with that threat, but I couldn't count on Lucas not trying to get revenge again, so I sent him straight to live with his Pappy Joe in a different county. Maybe John wasn't serious, but I didn't want to take that chance."

"You were in the hospital because of him." Maya's voice came out a little strained, and she cleared her throat. "If I were in your position, I'd do the exact same thing."

Layla nodded as she sectioned off another chunk of Maya's hair closer to the crown of her head. "I was in no position to raise my son at that point because I was depressed for a year and checked out of life, but I wonder sometimes if I made the right decision. When Lucas came back home to attend high school, he was… different. It was subtle and you can't tell when you look at him because of his general disposition, but I knew my son. He was extremely wild. Aggressive, angry, and then the year after that, the sleeping around started. I want to blame it on what happened with John, but the truth is I just don't know."

What the hell kind of life had they led? What had happened to Layla for her to end up in the hospital? What Lucas had divulged that afternoon had barely scratched the surface of just how bad a father he had. And even Layla wasn't disclosing all the details, but if the empty look in her gaze was anything to go by, whatever this man had done, he'd definitely destroyed his family. She was really starting to understand just why mentions of John Glenwood brought about angry mutters, shouts and that odd gleam of hatred in their eyes.

Maya must have accidentally made a face because Layla chuckled and apologised.

"I'm sorry for unloading all of this on you at once, but I think it'll help you understand what I meant about Lucas a little better. He knew what his father was capable of, yet still went after him because he wanted to protect me." She chuckled mirthlessly. "He was only thirteen. It's my fault he turned out this way. I should have been stronger for him. And I think a certain part of him acts this way because he doesn't want me to think he's still mulling over what happened. I can imagine you're probably horrified by the revelation."

She couldn't lie; it was a little crazy to hear the full story. "I mean, there are certain elements that are horrifying, but thankfully, I've lived my fair share of nightmares too. To be honest, I'm surprised I'm this well-adjusted."

Layla laughed. "I'm glad you've escaped the prison of a soap opera upbringing."

"But don't sell yourself short, Layla." Maya smiled, happy to see that the dimmed, nearly empty look in Layla's eyes had extinguished. "If anything, you're the reason why he probably _hasn't_ gone completely off the rails. You said so yourself, he's fiercely protective of people he cares about. So I'm sure to an extent, he recognises that if he turned into some wild motherfucker, it would hurt you deeply to see him that way. I would never do anything to hurt my mom either, and I knew messing up my life would do just that."

Reason number one she'd gotten her act together in high school.

The wry smile returned on Layla's face. "You're pretty wise for your age, potty mouth notwithstanding."

"Uh, thank… you? I give all the credit to my mom for that though. She's the one who singlehandedly raised me through the most tumultuous time of my life. Any wisdom I've picked up has been secondhand from her. You wouldn't think so since she acts like a kook half the time, but she's surprisingly good at giving advice."

Besides a wise person didn't make stupid seduction bets against a guy who clearly was going to be a tougher nut to crack than some typical fuckboy jock seen in movies. Maya had severely underestimated how many walls Lucas might have up. But if he was anything like her in how she dealt with things that had made her life hell, then it would take a grenade to be able to invade his defences.

"That she is." Layla laughed again as she wrapped a section of the hair around the wand and locked it in place to heat. "But that's why I'm so thankful for your mom. She's really been a wonderfully hectic addition to my life. Helped me see a different perspective on things I've been dealing with. No one I know understands a rough divorce, so she's definitely great to hang out with. Even if some of her plans are… umm, eccentric?"

"That's putting it lightly." Maya laughed too. "She's really happy she's got you too. She lost a lot of her friends after the divorce. I know my mom, and she probably considers you her best friend."

"I'm glad to hear that. Your mom is the best friend I've never had," Layla said seriously. "Like a sister even."

The cogs turned in Maya's mind. This was a very good opportunity to shamelessly push her party agenda for that weekend.

"You know…" Maya started, putting the perfect sly tone in her voice without sounding too obvious. "She's never actually gone on a vacation before."

The older woman rose a brow. "She hasn't?"

"She's pretty much worked nonstop since having me. It'd be great if she could go on a mini trip. Especially like this weekend since she won't be working."

Layla worked in silence for a little bit, though Maya definitely could see the pensive look in her eyes as she considered what Maya had told her. "You know, I was due for a visit with my dad. I could show her the apple orchard. Plus he has a lake house near the farm." The more she spoke, the more convinced she sounded about the idea. "Actually, I should be able to finish up my meeting with the firm tonight which will clear up my weekend. I could take her tomorrow."

"That's a great idea," Maya said, encouraging her and trying to keep from snickering. She'd fallen right for the trap.

"You know, Lucas did tell me earlier that it might be a good idea to go spend some time away to clear my mind from John." Layla turned off the curling wand and set it on the counter. She started rearranging some parts of Maya's hair. "Alright. It's settled. I'll take your mom apple picking. A city slick like her needs a taste of real country life once in her life. You're welcome to come and bring your friend if you'd like too?"

"That sounds really fun, but that might work better when Riley has more time, like in the spring."

"Good idea. We could all go and enjoy some time up there. There, all done." Maya shielded her face while Layla sprayed her hair so it could hold the curl into the night. "You know, I'm thankful to you too Maya. I think since you moved in, Lucas has mellowed out a bit. It's subtle, but it's there. I think you've been a pretty good addition to his life. He's a caring boy, even if he needs to get his act together sometimes."

"What is this, an infomercial? Are you trying to sell me your son?" Maya drawled, a little suspicious by the fact that Layla was sounding a bit too much like Katy with the whole Lucas pushing.

Layla's smile was anything but innocent. "He's always acted worse around girls he likes. In third grade, he once gave a girl a frog as a Valentine gift. Don't read too much into his actions."

Maya almost didn't notice what she'd been implying. She frowned. "He doesn't like me."

She tilted her head slightly in amusement. "Of course."

Maya could sense the sarcasm dripping from her tone.

Before she could respond, the door of the bathroom suddenly opened, and they both immediately clammed up when Lucas walked in. They glanced at each other secretively through the mirror and Maya nearly snickered when Layla brought a single finger up to her lips. Barring the end of their conversation, Maya was really glad she'd gotten a chance to talk to Layla. She seemed like a pretty cool person, and now that Maya knew how much she valued Katy's friendship, she trusted her even more.

"Can you do me a quick favour and run an errand for me, cowpoke?" Layla asked him.

"As long as it's not far. I've got somewhere to be today. I'm leaving soon," he responded as he picked up his razor from the counter.

"Oh that's right! You're going to a rodeo with your friends, right? Take Maya. I'm sure she's never been to one before." Layla commented offhandedly. Though not offhandedly enough that Maya couldn't detect that slight hint of conspiracy. "Some mates from the firm are coming tonight to discuss a case. It's going to get loud as usual and there won't be anything to do, so Maya, it'd be a good chance to go out and see some of Austin."

"That won't be necessary."

"It'll be fun." She nudged Maya, and Maya felt a little too uncomfortable with that sly little smirk she was wearing on her face. It screamed matchmaker to her. Had Katy told Layla what she'd seen? "Maybe you guys can make up and become friends."

Okay, now Maya was _sure_ there was no way Layla didn't know about the pool almost-sexcapade. She was even snickering and waggling her eyebrows. What the hell had Katy said to the woman about what she saw on the pool table?

"I have plans for tonight with someone, Layla," Maya said with an apologetic shrug. "Can't really cancel."

"What's the errand you wanted me to run? And your ride is here, Maya," Lucas said in boredom, the total indifference in his voice annoying her. A few hours ago, he'd been pissed off about Brandon. What was with his nonchalance now? It bugged her.

Layla looked between the two of them in confusion, clearly sensing the odd tension. "…Can you grab the tablecloth from the dryer and put it back on the patio table?"

"Sure," he called out as he left the bathroom.

Maya glared at her curling wand as she unplugged it and wrapped the cord around it. She put away her makeup and hair products, all the while ignoring Layla's scrutinising stare. Maya was rushing to leave before Layla commented on anything. And _especially_ before her mom woke up from her nap. No doubt the two women would start gossiping and making things hella awkward. It was better that Maya get the fuck out while she could. But thankfully, Layla didn't mention anything about Lucas again. She moved to the cabinet to look for the bathrobe, and Maya took that as her cue.

"Have fun on your date, Maya," Layla said congenially as Maya began to leave. "Oh, and make sure you don't trash my house when you throw that party you're obviously planning for tomorrow."

Maya's eyes widened as she stared at the woman. "You knew?"

"I wasn't born yesterday. You get bonus points for using your mom that cleverly to push your agenda, but what's that saying again? Momma didn't raise no fool?" She chuckled, waving Maya off when she started to apologise. "Don't worry about it. Well, as long as you don't trash my house."

"Okay. I'll make sure of that." Maya turned and left the bathroom with a red face and completely embarrassed that her efforts for secrecy had been completely in vain.

Maya headed down the stairs in no particular rush. She'd gone above and beyond for her hair, but true to her fashion, she'd opted out of dressing nicely and went with comfort clothes that could potentially work for any casual date. Besides, it was just Brandon. He probably didn't give a crap about what she looked like anyway.

She got to the driveway outside and headed down the front steps. Brandon was waiting in his car wearing a cowboy hat of all things, and Maya had to stop herself from busting out laughing when she climbed in the passenger seat.

"So where exactly are you taking me?" And should she have brought pepper spray?

He smirked. "A rodeo."

~.~.~

Honestly, Maya should have seen this coming.

She had no doubt this was the very same rodeo that Zay and Lucas and their friends were going to that evening. There was no way that this was a coincidence. And if it really wasn't, then Brandon was quickly proving himself to be as devious and crafty as Maya considered herself to be.

But that didn't change the fact that being at the rodeo was very clearly becoming a major annoyance. She didn't quite understand what was so entertaining about men and boys riding bulls and sheep until they nearly got their necks broken falling off. Plus, the stands were crowded and sweaty with so many jostling bodies with all sorts of BO and dank alcohol breath that was making her want to hurl. Twice, she'd gotten elbowed in the head by someone and when some guy broke a record on a bull, the guy to her right had gone nuts, picked her up, and planted a nasty slobbery kiss on her cheek. Not to mention all that time spent on her hair only for it to get mussed within minutes and the curls to drop from the humidity of her environment. And as if that wasn't bad enough, her hair was starting to frizz. She knew the cat on her head was starting to wake up from its long nap and would be making an appearance soon.

"So…" Maya said to Brandon when the shouts and jeers of the crowd finally settled down. The man who'd fallen off the bull had jumped the fuck out of the ring when the bull started chasing him. "You don't seem like the type who'd go to a rodeo to take someone out on a date."

"You're not usually one to beat around the bush, Hart," he said in monotone.

"Fair enough." She crossed her arms in front of her chest. Might as well get her answers then. "I want to know about your rivalry with Lucas."

"It's not a rivalry."

"Then why are you so curious about him and me? You seem like you really hate him. Did something happen at you guys' old school? And yes, I already knew you went to school together in junior high."

Brandon's eyes glinted with something harsh and unforgiving and his jaw clenched. He probably hadn't been expecting the blunt questioning, but Maya was fed up with this whole Lucas vs. Brandon mystery and above that, she was pretty damn pissed that Brandon had used the guise of a date to bring her to a fucking rodeo. Whatever his plan was, he could have just as easily taken her to like a four star restaurant or something! He owed her, and she would get her answers, even if she had to judo flip him out of the stands and throw him in the ring.

"Why do you seem to have a grudge against him? Is this about a girl?"

Another guy flung out of the gates on a wildly bucking bull, looking like he was about to get thrown off like a ragdoll and the crowd went wild. It was so loud, Maya wondered if Brandon had even heard the last part of her question, but the annoyed tick of the muscle in his jaw was too much of a reaction (for him anyway) to not mean something.

"Were you the guy whose girlfriend hooked up with Lucas to get back at you for slashing her tires?" Now that she thought about it, wasn't that what Missy had said happened to some of the guys? "Doesn't he have some sort of code of honour about that stuff?"

"I wasn't one of those people." He looked thoroughly annoyed. "What the fuck code of honour are you talking about? Do you have any personal evidence other than what those people who have their mouths too wrapped up around his dick say?"

"Alas, he speaks." Maya snarked. "I don't have evidence, but…"

It was a feeling she got.

Brandon scoffed in disgust. "Unbelievable. You're just like the others. He gives you some attention, flirts a bit, and now you're head over heels."

"I am not head over heels; but he is an arguably nice guy sometimes."

She couldn't really believe she was defending Lucas considering their track record, but it was the truth. He may have been some pervy asshole guy sometimes, but at least he didn't fool people or lie to people. He knew exactly what type of guy he was. There was no faking with Lucas. What she saw was what she got. And there were a few times he had been much nicer than she expected.

"If you think he's sincere, you deserve everything you get. How do you think he gets so many girls? He plays them to his advantage, acts how he thinks they think, and transforms himself into the perfect guy for them so they fall for him."

"Like a chameleon?" Maya snickered as the guy was flung off of the bull. He'd lasted way longer than anyone that night though and the crowd was going ballistic. "You are way too pressed about this Lucas thing."

Brandon scowled at her. "Because I'm being serious. You're falling for him. Or a _specific_ image of him he's allowing you to get to know. You're just a challenge to him. He's going to drop you like a rock the minute he gets what he wants."

He made a lot more sense than she wanted to admit. But what he was saying was still annoying her for some reason. "I'm not falling for anyone. And you think I don't know that he sees me as a challenge?"

"The way you've been with him seems to suggest otherwise. You're getting caught up in his spell and the moment you realise you have is the moment it'll be too late. Have you slept with him yet?"

"That's kind of private don't you think?" He was awfully invested.

"So that's a no then?" He smirked. "This is Friar we're talking about. If he wants to hook up with someone, he just goes for it as soon as possible."

"What about it?"

"Haven't you wondered why he's so withdrawn with you? Usually, if he has a certain target, he gets with the target pretty quickly. If he wants to hook up, he's not one to sit back and take his time."

"Maybe he respects me," Maya snarked sarcastically.

Or maybe she'd sabotaged herself in stupid ways by acting like a total nut in front of him multiple times. But then again, he hadn't been hesitant in making her know he was willing to screw her either. And also, Maya had definitely presented herself as a challenge; she wouldn't be surprised if he was biding his time to really calculate what moves to make.

"Yeah." Brandon snorted. "If that's what you want to believe."

"So what are you trying to say? The point please."

"I'm saying he's playing you by acting this way. You let your guard down, he'll take advantage of you. Or did you forget what kind of guy he is? People don't get monikers in our school unless they really deserve them."

"So then you really killed a man?" Maya rose a brow. "Because everyone I've known has referred to you as The Guy Rumoured To Have Killed A Man."

"You know what I mean." Brandon rolled his eyes in exasperation.

"I find it disappointing that you believe the rumours and nicknames of a bunch of drama-thirsty teenagers as valid reasoning."

"You're defending him an awful lot for someone you supposedly hate…" he drawled, watching the bull in the arena chase the man who'd just fallen off.

"Yes, I'm aware—believe me it's freaking me the fuck out—but like I said, he's…"

 _Genuine?_

But really, Brandon had a point. She _didn't_ know what Lucas' full intentions were. She knew you couldn't fake that kind of pain and anger he'd exhibited when they'd talked about their dads. Unless Lucas was a fantastic actor or something, but even that was pushing it. In that moment in the field, he hadn't been putting on any kind of act with her. His sincerity had really thrown her off. But then again, wasn't this exactly what Brandon was trying to warn her about? Lucas did act pretty much like The Wolf in all of those fables and fairy tales. He could be more cunning than she knew, but she hadn't gotten that vibe.

"I don't think he's scheming," she said in irritation. "Don't insult my intelligence. I'm not such an idiot that I can't tell when I'm getting played. One does not embark on an ambition like mine without being able to avoid dangerous traps set by The Big Bad Wolf."

He gave her a strange look, like he honestly couldn't believe she was an existing human being. "You don't know Friar. But I do."

Maya threw up her hands in exasperation. "Both you and Lucas keep saying that same stupid thing! Can you just tell me how you know each other so well? Fuck this mystery. You've been dragging it on for too long already. Just tell me."

Brandon's expression was full of malice. "He didn't tell you our history?"

"Tell me what? I already know you both went to the same school in junior high."

"We didn't just go to the same school. We were good friends." It'd been said with a degree of mockery and a sneer on his lips that made Maya wonder how sarcastically he meant 'friends'. Nonetheless, he had her rapt attention, especially since Missy hadn't been able to dig up any dirt like that. "But what I'm talking about is the girl he injured."

Her brows furrowed. "I know about that too."

"Do you?" Brandon's sneer turned into one of disgust. "Did you know that the girl he fucked up was my girlfriend?"

Maya's jaw dropped in sheer disbelief that there could be a connection like that. " _What_?"

"Guess he conveniently left that part out."

Well, considering she'd gotten the information from _Missy_ , it made total sense why she didn't get that other element to the whole story. Missy was a great journalist, but she wasn't clairvoyant. There were bound to be holes in her information. But this? This went beyond just a simple association. This was actually crazy. And above that, it pretty much made sense why Brandon seemed to detest Lucas with a burning passion. She was beginning to think that a lot of stuff all revolved around what was starting to seem like "The Worst Year of Lucas Friar's Life".

All she knew for sure was, there was a lot more to this Brandon/Lucas issue than she knew and they both were harbouring some pretty nasty feelings towards each other. She knew why Brandon hated Lucas now (kind of? maybe? sort of?), but she had no idea why Lucas hated Brandon. And now she really wanted to know, especially since Brandon had just dropped that news.

She didn't get a chance to respond because at that moment a wild bull rammed into the wall in front of their stands. The shoddy construction shook from the impact, creaking and bending. The whole audience on their side shouted in alarm as it started to seem like the whole thing was about to break into a thousand pieces and crash to the ground. And take them with it to their deaths!

"Holy shit! Are we about to die?!" Maya shouted, grabbing hold of the first thing she could think of. In this case, the ponytail of the guy directly in front of her. He yelped in pain and nearly got his head yanked back as she tried to catch her balance. "Sorry!"

The movement settled, and they all let out collective sighs of relief, but the man beside her hurled. He was spewing brown gunk and with that mixed with his nasty liquor breath, she nearly threw up herself. Maya screamed and jumped away so she wouldn't get sprayed by the beer infested vomit and rammed into Brandon. He lost his balance and was jostled out of his spot and rammed into a person beside and in front of him and they lost their balance and were jostled out of their spots and rammed into other people who lost their balance and were jostled out of their spots and rammed into other people who lost their balance…

And before she knew it, she'd caused an unfortunate domino effect that had one half of their entire stand falling on their asses, running into other people, or nearly tumbling off the stand itself. The other half was screaming in disgust and sheer terror at the still vomiting man. Some of the spewed chunks landed on another woman in the stands, and without further ado, she started hurling too.

Maya couldn't help it. The absolute stupidity of the entire situation made her laugh so hard she couldn't catch her breath.

"Let's get out of here," Brandon muttered with a tinge of horror in his voice. "Before you get us both killed."

"Only if we stop by a burger joint so I can get some dinner."

"You still want to eat after seeing that?" he said incredulously, pointing to the people throwing up.

"Yes! Let's go!"

He turned to leave the stands and she followed him, mentally apologising to all the drunk people still groaning in confusion or pain from the fall. As they headed down the stairs, she glanced up at the stand set that had been beside them, trying to see if people were watching the mess that had happened. She'd been passively watching people, so she wasn't quite paying attention to anyone, until she caught sight of Zay, cheering wildly as he watched the mess, twirling a shirt like a lasso in one hand, and holding his beer in the other. Her stomach suddenly dropped. If Zay was there (and now that she looked closely, a lot of friends from that group), then Lucas was no doubt in the area too.

And sure enough, when she shifted her gaze to the left, she found herself making eye contact with Lucas. His expression was carefully blank, but she still felt her breath hitch. Licking her lips nervously, Maya snapped her gaze away and hurried to leave the stand.

Dammit, why was that feeling of guilt rearing its ugly head again?

~.~.~

Maya rang the doorbell for the umpteenth time, getting more annoyed when no one still came to open it. She and Brandon were waiting outside for Lucas to get home to open up the door. Unfortunately, Maya hadn't thought to ask Layla for a house key yet, so she was stuck for the time being since it seemed no one was home. Either that or Layla's group party was so loud they couldn't hear her. But she'd heard the doorbell in the house. It reverberated through the whole first floor, so the chances of someone missing it were very low.

"Now that this date is over, are you going to tell me why you told me all this stuff about Lucas? You know, aside from your ever present obsession with knowing where Bucky McBoingBoing has been." Maya rose a brow as she leaned back against the railing of the front steps. "I'm grateful for the info, but we're not exactly friends, so pardon my confusion. And please don't say you're doing it because you care about me or anything as vomit inducing as that 'I like you' confession was."

He shrugged, though his expression held a tinge of annoyance. "I have my reasons."

Bullshit.

This guy was so infuriating. Was he going out of his way to make sure he always appeared like some mysterious, brooding guy?

Her eyes narrowed. "…Why'd you ask me out by telling me you liked me?"

"Because I do like you. Your little ploy to hook up with Friar is giving me some great entertainment."

Once again, Maya couldn't tell from his blank face just how much sarcasm played a factor in his response. She could almost even detect the hint of something playful in his tone, but it was too hard to tell. This guy was just as much of an unpredictable enigma as Lucas was. Only the thing was Maya was able to understand Lucas a little more each time they spoke. This guy just made no fucking sense.

"You know, if you were a fuckboy, you and Lucas would literally be the same person."

"Except he's leagues worse. You make me out to be the bad guy somehow, but have you ever stopped to consider that maybe he and his group are all awful people? You don't know Friar, yet you trust him with your life."

"No, I d—"

"He has you wrapped around his finger." Brandon cut her off, rolling his eyes. "Anyway, I have nothing to gain or lose from telling you about him, so you really should consider my warning seriously. But then again, I wouldn't expect anything sane from a crazy person like you."

"If you're going to be a jackass, go home already."

Brandon set his hands on her shoulders and leaned down close in one fluid motion. She was completely unprepared for his action and couldn't evade fast enough when he kissed her on the cheek. Maya nearly jumped in surprise and she let out an involuntary gasp (of disgust! The nerve!) when it happened. Why the hell had he done that?!

His lips stayed on her cheek until a car door shut behind her. She hadn't even heard someone pull up in the driveway in the first place. Had she really been that distracted by the conversation?

Maya wiped her cheek off when he let her go. "What the fuck was that?"

"I did my job, didn't I?" He straightened up, though his gaze was on something behind her.

No.

Not something.

 _Lucas_.

She could actually feel the heat of his glare from behind. She'd asked Brandon to pretend they were trying to hook up, and he'd definitely delivered, only now she was starting to feel like now wouldn't have been the best time for this.

As Brandon walked down the stairs and Lucas up, he tossed Lucas a smug smirk. They passed by each other, and it was warm outside, but Maya could have sworn that the air chilled at least _fifty_ degrees.

Lucas briefly met her gaze as he moved to unlock the door. She felt like she making some sort of excuse, but his expression morphed into some dirty look that immediately made her ready to take out her claws instead.

"Enjoy your night?" he asked, unfriendly, and with a look in his eyes that pissed her off. He was going to be an asshole. She just knew.

"I was enjoying it until you arrived." She rolled her eyes. "Okay, what's your problem? Better yet, what the hell is your problem with Brandon?"

He unlocked the door and tossed his keys in the bowl by the door as he headed down the main hallway. "I don't have the patience to deal with your shit tonight."

Oh hell no, he was not dismissing her. Not without a fight anyway. Maya brushed past him and blocked the staircase up to their rooms, planting her hands on her hips and glowering up at him.

"No. I've had enough of _your_ bullshit. Every time I so much as mention him, you get your knickers in a damn twist. Either you tell me what the problem is, or I'm going to assume you're jealous about the date."

"I don't give a crap about your fucking date, Maya. Do you ever stop to think about the circumstances surrounding the dumb shit you do?" Lucas snapped, clearly fed up. Maya flipped him off with a scoff. "How did Brandon know exactly what rodeo to go to tonight at the exact time we were there? Funny how your date ended up being just about in the same area of the stands too, huh?"

Now that she thought about it, he'd asked her out for the exact day that she'd planned to go with Zay to the rodeo. As her somewhat ally, she knew why going to the rodeo with Brandon when Lucas was there made sense, but Lucas was right. The thing she couldn't figure out was _how_ Brandon had all that information exactly right and where he'd gotten it from. Plus, Brandon was almost too astutely observant of Lucas. It was kind of weird. He acted all nonchalant about stuff, but now that Maya was thinking about it, he was oddly intense about anything having to do with Lucas. She was beginning to think that she was about to get caught up in the crossfire of some vicious war.

"I'm telling you he's bad news, but you're so fucking stubborn—"

"Bad news for you maybe. But I don't blame him being vengeful as fuck, you know, considering you put his girlfriend in the hospital."

Lucas let out a harsh bark of incredulous laughter, though his expression was anything but amused. "Really?"

She stiffened. "Yes, really."

"I don't know why you're sticking your nose in someone else's business and trying to stir up old shit, but I've paid my dues for my mistake." Lucas growled.

"I didn't dig up any old dirt. Brandon told me this stuff himself."

Lucas didn't respond for several seconds, staring at her with narrowed eyes as if trying to figure out how much of what she was saying was the truth. Maya smirked, feeling satisfied with his silence.

 _Take that, you Huckleberry! Score: Maya – uhh…_

Well, she couldn't remember the score, but whatever it was, she'd definitely just gotten a point in her favour.

"Oh, I see." Lucas finally said in disinterest. "He thinks we're together. What a delusional concept."

"Or maybe…" Maya snarled, sincerely annoyed by his dismissal. "He's deduced that you like me more than you want to admit. And the fact that I'm going for him is bugging the hell out of you."

"Listen, darling." His gaze was ruthless as he leaned down so they were eye level. He spoke in a low voice, sending chills down her back. "Get it through your head. You are the _last_ person I would ever want to date."

"But the first you want to fuck," she riposted, quirking a brow.

They both fell silent, staring each other down in annoyance.

"Maya, get out of my way," he said calmly.

Lucas looked like something in him was about to snap, but Maya wasn't about to get intimidated.

"Eat shit," she said in the same tone.

Lucas' lips pulled up into a fiendish smirk and before she could do anything, he took hold of her waist and hauled her up onto his shoulder like a sack of potatoes. She was suddenly getting déjà vu of the last time he'd hoisted her up. Only with that huge burger plus the fries plus the milkshake turning in her stomach and the memory of that brown gunk that man had heaved out at the rodeo, she knew this wasn't going to end pretty.

"Can you put me down?!"

"You wouldn't move, so I'm moving you."

"Ummm… excuse me? The door was unlocked and opened, and I kind of let myself in because no one responded to my knock, and I heard you guys arguing so I uh, followed the trail of… insults…"

She and Lucas both glanced in the direction of the new voice. Maya's brows lifted in surprise when she saw Riley standing nearby them with her hot pink suitcase and a sheepish, slightly awkward smile on her face. She looked between the two of them in confusion.

"Hi Peaches… Hope I'm not interrupting something."


End file.
